Page 12 - GLNG Week 48 2022

GLNG COMMENTARY GLNG

COP27 – Canada

faces criticism for oil

and gas stance

COMMENTARY Though global delegates have left COP27 in fight climate change.”
Sharm El-Sheikh, the criticism of Canada’s Canada has a carbon price. It covers 80% of
stance on fossil fuels is still sharp. Canada’s total emissions at varying costs per
Canada was lambasted by activists for refus- tonne, according to carbon credits.
ing to sign a final agreement to phase out oil and The final agreement at COP26 had called for
gas, but it also challenged other countries to nations to move faster to phase out coal. At this
adopt carbon pricing as a key element of climate year’s COP there was a move to add oil and gas
strategy. to the statement.
A broad coalition of more than 80 countries Canada resisted. US climate envoy John
had backed the call, which ultimately was not Kerry said his country would agree, but only if
included in the conference’s final statement. the language said “unabated” oil and gas. The EU
Ottawa’s Environment Minister, Steven said it supported the idea, as long as the language
Guilbeault, a former green activist, contended on coal was not weakened.
that provinces and territories would likely sue Guilbeault, in an interview on stage at
if there were an attempt to halt oil and gas pro- COP27, said Canada was focusing its efforts on
duction. Canada is the fourth largest producer of regulating how much methane can be emitted by
oil and the sixth largest producer of natural gas oil and gas producers, on reducing demand with
in the world, according to the Canadian Associ- efficiency and electric vehicles.
ation of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). Julia Levin, National Climate Programme
“I would like to point out that there is no such manager for Environmental Defence, told Cana-
text [to phase out fossil fuels],” Guilbeault told dian Press: “I’d say it’s clear that the government
reporters at the annual UN COP climate confer- of Canada is beholden to fossil fuel lobbyists and
ence. “But we support reducing our dependen- putting their interests ahead of public welfare.”
cies on fossil fuels. The very foundation of our CAPP’s president and CEO, Lisa Baiton,
climate change plan rests on that, which is why retorted in a written statement: “As global
we’ve adopted a law to ban the use of coal-fired demand for natural gas and oil will remain
electricity in Canada by 2030, we’re putting in strong for decades, Canada has a role to play in
place measures so that 100% of vehicles sold in providing safe and lower emission resources to
Canada will be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, the world’s energy mix.”
our electrical grid will be net-zero by 2035.” However, Canada led an initiative at COP27
He continued: “All of these measures, and called the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge. It
many more, will lead to a significant reduction calls for a carbon price. At COP26 in Glasgow,
of our consumption of fossil fuels and therefore Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had
our dependencies on fossil fuels in Canada. And challenged the world to triple the global coverage
we obviously support that. That’s what we’re here of carbon pricing by 2030.
for.” His remarks were reported by the Financial In his closing speech at COP27, the UN’s cli-
Post. mate chief, Simon Stiell, said all fossil fuels were
He added, later in the conference: “We have on the way out. “[The final agreement] gives the
to be super careful in terms of what we do … that key political signals that indicate a phase-down
what we do will hold in court,” he said. “Other- of all fossil fuels is happening,” he said.™
wise we’re wasting time, and precious time, to

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