On April 14th 2015 Canadian premiers released an outcome statement after the Quebec Summit on Climate Change. Here is an unedited version of their declaration.
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Recognizing that there is a scientific consensus calling for significant reductions in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to less than 2°C compared to the preindustrial era;
Recognizing that the health and security of populations, as well as the economy,
infrastructure, and ecosystems are already affected by climate change, and that climate
risks have significant implications for the economic and social development prospects of provinces and territories;
Recognizing that the cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action with regards to GHG emissions mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change;
Recognizing that Arctic states such as Canada are particularly vulnerable and
disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change, adaptation must
complement ambitious mitigation measures to address the effects climate change is
having on Canada’s northern regions;
Recognizing that investing in the fight against climate change, especially in areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and cleaner energy production, holds great
promise for sustainable economic development and long-term job creation;
Recognizing that Canadian provinces and territories are well positioned to contribute
towards the development of technological innovations and global solutions;
Recognizing that achieving our environmental goals, addressing climate change and
reducing GHG emissions will require an integrated, economy-wide approach that
includes all sectors;
Recognizing that transitioning to a resilient and lower-carbon economy by 2050 is
necessary to ensure the sustainable development of provinces and territories;
Recognizing that carbon pricing is an approach that is being taken by an increasing
number of governments;
Recognizing that climate actions will be consistent with the international competitiveness of provincial and territorial economies and sustainable development of Canada’s natural resources sectors;
Recognizing that provinces and territories hold important responsibilities in the fight
against climate change by virtue of their jurisdictions and powers;
Recognizing that Federated States, such as Canada’s provinces and territories, and
regional governments can play an important role in contributing to the success of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change to be held in Paris in December 2015, and whose objective it is to conclude a
new international climate agreement to limit global warming to 2°C;
Recognizing the will of provinces and territories to contribute to Canada’s fight against climate change and strengthen the contribution made by Federated States and regional governments to the international climate effort;
Meeting at the Quebec Summit on Climate Change, the Premiers, seeking to foster a
transition to a lower-carbon economy, commit to:
Adopt a long-term perspective to facilitate the achievement of near-term and long-term
GHG reduction targets;
Advance innovation and the development and deployment of technologies needed to
transition to a lower-carbon economy;
Promote actions that support intergovernmental and cross-sector linkages in addressing
climate change and that are inclusive of all sectors of the economy;
Implement programs and measures to adapt to climate change and reduce GHG
emissions;
Strengthen pan-Canadian climate change cooperation, in particular by sharing
information, expertise and best practices in order to reduce GHG emissions and
increase adaptation initiatives in order to build more resilient populations, infrastructures and economies in the face of climate risks;
Make a transition to a lower-carbon economy through appropriate initiatives, which may
include carbon pricing, carbon capture and storage and other technological innovations;
Better coordinate GHG emissions reporting systems among jurisdictions;
Foster investments in the development of resilient infrastructure and energy networks to reduce the GHG emissions associated with the production and consumption of energy;
Implement policies to reduce GHG emissions, which may include improving climate
change literacy, increasing energy efficiency and conservation, or the use of clean and
renewable energy;
Partner with the federal government in a concerted effort to develop an ambitious
contribution from Canada at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Promote the actions taken by provinces and territories as well as the contribution made
by Federated States and regional governments in reaching the international objectives
aimed at countering global warming, notably during the 21st session of the Conference
of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Disseminate this statement to the various bodies involved in the fight against climate
change, both in Canada and internationally, in order to demonstrate the leadership of the provinces and territories of Canada in this regard.
