Climate Action Network Canada Brief: 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22)

Climate Action Network Canada Brief: 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) to the  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Marrakech, Morocco  November 7 – 18, 2016) 

Our Priorities for Canada in Marrakech:

1. Canada must commit to earlier ambition on climate action and encourage the same from other countries, consistent with the Moroccan Presidency’s emphasis on pre-2020 action. A strong panCanadian Framework on Climate Change and Clean Growth is essential to get the ball rolling. (see CAN-Rac’s Expectations for the Framework here: https://climateactionnetwork.ca/climate_old/2016/10/06/expectations-pan-canadian-framework-climate-change/
   WE EXPECT A PAN-CANADIAN PLAN THAT:
   • Shows us the megatonnes. A real plan will quantify GHG emissions reductions associated with proposed policies – reductions that reach our current 2030 target of reducing emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030 and put Canada on a path to exceeding that target. CAN-Rac recognizes that the current target is incompatible with the Paris Agreement’s long-term goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C and should be updated as soon as possible. CANRac’s calculations suggest that Canada’s fair-share contribution to the global effort on climate change is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 (see fair share calculations here:  https://climateactionnetwork.ca/climate_old/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Road-Map-to-Paris-English-WEB1.pdf).
   • Includes a baked-in accountability mechanism. The credibility of the pan-Canadian plan hinges on its inclusion of a series of tools that reinforce the accountability of theFramework and work to facilitate an increase in Canada’s climate ambition over time beyond our current 2030 target.
   • Articulates ambitious policies in every sector of the economy.
   • Raises the ambition of existing provincial and territorial climate plans. At the First Ministers Meeting, we will judge the federal contribution to the climate plan, rather than individual provincial climate plans. The sum of current provincial targets and climate policies is not sufficient to meet our Paris target, and the federal government must work to fill the gaps.
   • Shows true leadership in areas of strict federal jurisdiction. The federal government has many levers it can use, including leading by example through carbon neutral federal procurement practices. Well designed funding-streams are another critical area of leadership.
2. Canada should enshrine earlier ambition and accountability in the pan-Canadian climate framework, as a reflection and a legitimizer of the international measurement, review and verification process (see Canadian Accountability Mechanism – Appendix A of this doc: http:// climateactionnetwork-28b0.kxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Expectations-PanCanadian-Framework.pdf)
3. Canada must articulate its plans for filling the gap between Canada’s current climate finance commitment of $2.65billion over 5 years (reaching $800million annually by 2020), and the climate finance budgeted for so far, as well as between the $2.65 billion and Canada’s $4-billion/year by 2020 fair share contribution (fair share calculations here).
4. Canada can and should play a leadership role in igniting the development of an international framework based on best-practice principles for bilateral on internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs).
   • This is important because Canada is considering the role of ITMOs in its efforts to meet climate obligations in the coming years. See accompanying document for CAN-Rac’s recommendations on Canada’s approach to climate finance, touching on ITMOs.
5. We will be looking for Canada to negotiate in good faith, with an eye to domestic implications, on the following issues: loss and damage, land use, and human rights including the rights of Indigenous peoples.

CONTACT:

Catherine Abreu Executive Director, Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada 902 412 8953 catherineabreu@climateactionnetwork.ca

Catherine will be in Marrakech for the full length of COP22. Look for CAN-Rac’s media advisory with local contact phone numbers as COP begins on Monday, November 7th.