National Observer By Mia Rabson 11/18/2022
Canada won't agree to add language calling for the phaseout of all fossil fuels — including oil and gas — to the final agreement at this year's United Nations climate talks in Egypt, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Thursday.
The agreement from the UN conference in Scotland last year called for countries to move faster to get rid of coal-fired electricity plants that are not abated with technology to capture emissions. It was the first time a COP pact included any reference to reducing any kind of fossil fuel use.
India spent the last two weeks of COP27 negotiations pushing to add oil and gas to that paragraph in this year's final pact.
The European Union said it was supportive of the idea as long as it does not weaken the language on coal. United States climate envoy John Kerry said the U.S. was on board as long as it applies only to "unabated" oil and gas.
But there was no sign of any such language in the draft text of the COP27 pact released Thursday. The final draft was still being negotiated as the two-week climate talks near their final day Friday.
Canada backed the coal language last year, but Guilbeault said it's not open to adding oil and gas to the pact this year.
During a one-on-one conversation in Egypt Thursday with Climate Action Network Canada's national policy Caroline Brouillette, Guilbeault said Canada's focus is on regulations and policies that curb greenhouse gas emissions, like regulations on how much methane oil and gas producers can emit.
It's also focusing on reducing demand for fossil fuels with policies that promote energy conservation alternatives, such as electric vehicles, clean power and more efficient buildings.
More:
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/11/18/news/canada-refuses-back-cop27-call-phase-down-oil-gas-production
