by Imtiaz Popat
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault tried to shift focus away from gas emission targets to championing to reduce coal emissions. This was buoyed by over 500 delegates from the oil and gas industry who were at COP26 to advocate for prolonging their future by to mitigate the move away from fossil.
But the opposition from countries like India to reduce coal emissions resulted in a weak final resolution on phasing out coal as well as oil and gas to reduce greenhouse gases in order to halt climate change.
In fact Guilbeault was sympathetic to India, saying that he understands India’s reluctance to phase out the use of coal because Canada also wants to expand the use of oil and gas. This failure to secure a strong resolution against coal emissions will make it difficult for the Trudeau government to sell its seriousness to fight climate change.
We will be facing critical ecological and social justice issues as the new Parliament starts meeting this coming week and we need leadership to put pressure on the parties that will influence this new minority government.
Imtiaz Popat is a long time green and eco and social justice activists who ran for the Greens in the recent federal election in Vancouver Granville.
Imtiaz Popat 