Global environmental challenges call for global solutions, as the world is facing the triple crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Canada is working with others around the world-including major emitters-to take ambitious and urgent action to address these problems, which know no geopolitical boundaries.
Addressing global environmental challenges requires China's engagement. The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will therefore attend the Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) from August 28-30, in order to drive ambition and progress on a number of environmental issues.
For more than 30 years, Canada has joined multiple countries, United Nations' agencies, and environmental non-government organizations in engaging with the CCICED to advance progress on a range of environmental files, including preventing pollution, protecting biodiversity, and combatting climate change. A range of leading environmental organizations and donors will also attend the CCICED Annual General Meeting, in addition to representatives from United Nations organizations.
The CCICED Annual General Meeting will be an opportunity for Minister Guilbeault to spur action on a number of environmental issues, including the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, created last December when Canada was the host of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), which committed countries to protecting 30 percent of global land and water by 2030.
Canada's evolving approach to China is a critical part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. There, we outlined how our approach to China is shaped by a clear-eyed assessment of today's China, and is anchored in the protection and promotion of our Canadian values and interests. We also explained that the government will challenge China when it ought to, and cooperate with China when it must. One of the key objectives of our strategy is to ensure a sustainable and green future for Canadians and all people in the Indo-Pacific region. In this case, because of its sheer size and influence, cooperation with China is necessary to address the world's existential pressures, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.
