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For release: August 7, 2009

Environmental groups respond to Premiers' lackluster motherhood statements on climate change

Regina — Responses from environmental groups, at the conclusion of the Council of the Federation meeting, included the following statements:

Dave Martin of Greenpeace Canada, stated: "The Council of the Federation was another in a long series of failures by Canadian politicians to do something positive to address climate change. The premiers should have taken off the gloves and gone bare-knuckle with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ottawa. They should have pushed for commitments to greenhouse gas reductions that will help prevent a climate catastrophe. Fortunately, environmental groups put global warming front and centre despite the Premiers’ efforts to hide the issue. The good news is the climate rumble in Regina did happen in the back rooms. The debate is moving forward, but we are running out of time, with only four months to go before the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen."

Graham Saul of Climate Action Network Canada said: “We welcome participation from Canadian premiers at the historic United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen this December. Prime Minister Harper seems to be listening to only one sector and one premiere when it comes to climate change, and that’s the oil patch and Premier Stelmach. Canadians are concerned about climate change and we need leaders in Copenhagen that share our concern. Right now Canadian climate change policy is being held hostage by oil companies, and that’s just not fair.”

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Additional information is available at:
www.climateactionnetwork.ca/e/issues/cf-2009.html