The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, represented Canada at this year's Group of Seven (G7) Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment, which took place in Turin, Italy, from April 28 to 30.
Working closely with G7 partners to advance key climate, environment, and biodiversity priorities, Minister Guilbeault underscored the importance of pursuing the transition toward cleaner energy in a way that creates economic opportunities while ensuring a climate-resilient, nature-positive, sustainable energy future that is affordable and inclusive.
Building on the strong momentum from the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, Ministers agreed to take additional concrete action in the fight against climate change. In particular, Canada led efforts for the G7 to commit to phase out existing unabated coal power generation during the first half of the 2030s, which is the first time the G7 has agreed to such a time frame. Ministers also agreed to a global goal to increase energy storage in the power sector to 1,500 gigawatts (GW) in 2030, a more than six-fold increase from 2022.
Canada also worked hard to advance the G7 commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, with all countries committing to a progress report in 2025, when Canada will have the Presidency of the G7.
Ministers considered the importance of clean energy and critical minerals to achieve shared energy security and transition goals. Canada stressed the importance of strong market signals and policies that value high environmental standards and profiled the contribution our critical minerals and low carbon natural resources can provide to ensure secure supply chains for clean technologies.
The G7 together condemned Russia's direct attacks on Ukraine's power generation and electricity grid and committed to help Ukraine repair and restore its critical energy and environmental infrastructure.
As the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) negotiations on an international plastics treaty are simultaneously wrapping up in Ottawa, Minister Guilbeault worked with G7 countries to build momentum for strong action to curb the plastic pollution that is affecting our health and that litters the oceans and environment. G7 leadership will remain critical to pushing for a legally binding agreement by the end of 2024.
Canada came to the G7 seeking strong commitments toward the implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed upon at the 15th United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Canada in 2022. In the lead-up to COP16 later this year, Canada sought G7 ambition on the implementation of the Framework. G7 ministers affirmed their commitment to identify subsidies harmful to biodiversity by 2025 and reduce them by at least $500 billion per year by 2030.
On climate change and energy transition, Canada:
- Encouraged others to meet their Group of Twenty (G20) commitment and follow Canada's early lead on the phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, while also calling for greater collaboration and transparency.
- Promoted the essential role that carbon pricing plays in reducing emissions and creating clean growth opportunities.
- Advocated for an approach to G7 climate financing that mobilizes finance from all sources to support climate action in developing countries, as all countries look to collectively agree on a new climate finance goal at COP29.
- Underlined the central role of affordable clean energy to reduce emissions and enhance energy security.
- Recognized the importance of continuing to invest in clean technology innovation, including for carbon management, clean fuels, and nuclear.
- Promoted collaboration in securing clean energy supply chains, including through the expanded and responsible development of critical minerals.
On biodiversity loss and pollution, Canada:
- Advocated for strong G7 support for the INC-4 negotiations hosted by Canada and secured a strong commitment to work together to, by the end of this year, land an ambitious and inclusive global agreement to end plastic pollution.
- Secured a G7 commitment to pursue the swift, full, and effective implementation of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework and to the achievement of each of its goals and targets, recognizing that global biodiversity action is an economic imperative, as well as an environmental imperative. Canada emphasized that biodiversity action must be undertaken in full partnership with Indigenous peoples.
- Underscored the key role that the G7 can play in closing the global biodiversity finance gap of US$700 billion per year by continuing to substantially increase funding for nature from all sources and taking urgent action to identify, redirect and eliminate, and phase out or reform subsidies that are harmful to nature.
- Welcomed the launch a new G7 Water Coalition and endorsed a declaration on implementing the new Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
Canada worked hard to ensure G7 commitments will help address the challenges Canadians face today. These efforts recognize the need to improve economic opportunities while ensuring a climate-resilient, nature-positive, sustainable energy future is affordable and inclusive. This will set a solid foundation on which Canada can build as it assumes the G7 Presidency in 2025.
