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No ‘cajoling’ by Canada over Kyoto

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the allegation published in the Red Deer Advocate on Jan. 9 (David Suzuki: Economy clashes with basic rights) that members of the Canadian delegation were trying to “cajole” other countries to pull out of the Kyoto Protocol during the international climate change talks in Durban, South Africa.

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the allegation published in the Red Deer Advocate on Jan. 9 (David Suzuki: Economy clashes with basic rights) that members of the Canadian delegation were trying to “cajole” other countries to pull out of the Kyoto Protocol during the international climate change talks in Durban, South Africa.

As Canada’s chief negotiator and ambassador for climate change, and a member of the Canadian delegation to the 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), let me emphasize that no members of our delegation made any attempt to convince any country to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol.

Canada has always made it clear that, while we do not agree that the Kyoto Protocol represents the path forward, we would not stand in the way of any country that supports it.

In Durban, we actively supported the efforts to launch a new round of negotiations to reach a new single, comprehensive and effective agreement that would include all major emitters. It is our hope that these negotiations will be concluded by 2015.

I would also note that the confirmation by Canada in Durban that we will spend $1.2 billion between 2010 and 2012 to support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts by developing countries was very well received.

Canada will continue to work constructively with its international partners to achieve a fair, comprehensive and effective post-2012 agreement that moves us beyond Kyoto and includes legally-binding commitments from all major emitters.

Furthermore, we will be fully transparent in reporting on our greenhouse gases emissions and the efforts made by the federal and provincial governments to meet our 17 percent emissions reduction target by 2020.

Guy Saint-Jacques

Canada’s chief negotiator

and ambassador for climate change

Environment Canada

Ottawa