Skip to navigation Skip to content

1 min

G7 SUMMIT ENDS UP BEING A G6 ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN PROTECTION

Published on 

Canada succeeds in maintaining international commitment to fight climate change


Quebec City, June 9, 2018
– Équiterre welcomed today’s final communiqué in conclusion of the G7 in Charlevoix. The Government of Canada and the other members of the G6 (the G7 with the exception of the US) reaffirmed the importance of fighting climate change and the Paris Agreement while Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom adopted a "Charter on plastics" to help protect the world’s oceans and reduce the amount of plastic waste. 

"The world is in dire need of leadership on climate change, now more than ever. Despite the isolationism, protectionism and climate denial of the US Administration, Canada successfully played its diplomatic role during this summit," said Steven Guilbeault, Senior Director at Équiterre.

The communiqué clearly reaffirms the implementation of the Paris Agreement, showing the resolve of the international community to ensure the success of this agreement, and further isolating the US Administration vis-à-vis the climate change file. This G7 agreement sets the table for the upcoming negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference this fall in Poland.

We will have to wait until the G7 Environment and Energy Ministers meeting in September to see whether any progress has been made on the commitment by G7 countries to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies. It should be noted that a recent report showed that Canada has a long way to go to meet this commitment and comes second to last in terms of its transparency for the fossil fuel subsidies it still provides.

"This next step in the G7 presidency will be an important test of the coherence of the Canadian Government on the climate change file," stated Annie Bérubé, Équiterre's Director of Government Relations.

- 30 -

For more information :

Camille Gagné-Raynauld
cgraynauld@equiterre.org / 514 605-2000