Canada continues to play an active role on the international stage as nations work together to fight the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. With an increase in extreme climate-related weather events worldwide, including Canada's record spring forest fire season this year, the urgency of the situation calls for more ambition and international cooperation on climate action to keep the 1.5°C Paris Agreement warming limit within reach and avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, concluded his participation in the seventh Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA) in Brussels, Belgium. Canada, along with His Excellency Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, and Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal (European Commission), co-convened the two days of meetings with over 29 ministers and other high-level representatives, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, and 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) President-designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber from the United Arab Emirates, to agree on priorities to increase international momentum in the lead‑up to COP28.
At MoCA, participating ministers shared expectations for COP28, including the need to keep global warming to 1.5°C within reach and to work together to support people and communities everywhere who are experiencing severe impacts as a result of the climate crisis. Canada stressed the need for new and enhanced concrete actions to reduce emissions, its commitment to an inclusive approach to addressing climate change, the importance of establishing a fund and funding arrangements for loss and damage at COP28, as well as its commitment to make climate and biodiversity action mutually reinforcing following the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework during COP15. Canada came to Brussels ready to demonstrate and deliver on an ambitious outcome.
The Minister also announced $450 million in new funding for the second replenishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a 50 percent increase from Canada's pledge to the GCF's first replenishment in 2019. The GCF is a critical funding mechanism of the Paris Agreement to support low-emission, climate-resilient development pathways. Minister Guilbeault encouraged other countries to follow Canada's contribution to the GCF, which will further strengthen its ability to respond to the climate crisis and is part of the collective US$100 billion climate finance goal, which is on track to be achieved this year and through to 2025.
During MoCA, the Minister collaborated with his co-conveners from China and the EU. The Minister also strengthened relationships with representatives of several countries, including Singapore's Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu; German State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, Jennifer Morgan; and the United Kingdom's Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart. Furthermore, the Minister hosted a roundtable discussion with youth, environmental non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and leading business organizations on the clean energy transition and our shared climate priorities.
