Statement from CAN-Rac’s Catherine Abreu on Canada/US commitments to Arctic Sustainability

OTTAWA (December 20, 2016) – True to the spirit of the season, the Canadian and United States governments have delivered an exciting package of commitments to Arctic sustainability today. Foremost of these is designating Arctic waters indefinitely  off-limits to future offshore oil and gas licensing. The Arctic is central to the lives of Indigenous communities that call it home and essential to the livelihood of the entire planet. Climate Action Network – Réseau action climate (CAN-Rac) Canada is thrilled to celebrate some big steps being taken to protect this  exceptional and finely-tuned ecosystem.

CAN-Rac eagerly anticipates the development of an Arctic Policy Framework through an inclusive process that places Indigenous voices and traditional knowledge at its heart. We hope the Framework and Indigenous perspectives inform future conversations about the viability of low-impact shipping corridors, as well as further steps to halt the development of new oil and gas reserves that are incompatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

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Photo: AP Photo/Greenpeace, Steve Morgan