Everything was in the tone, both polite and implacable, of the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Melissa Fleming, who chaired the Climate Ambition Summit assembly on Wednesday; in her raised eyebrows and her gaze focused on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as she introduced her speech. “Last year, Canada was among the biggest responsible for the expansion of hydrocarbons throughout the world,” she underlined, before asking the Prime Minister what actions will be taken by Canada to maintain the heading towards the objective of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
The comment immediately sparked a reaction, while in New York the countries and regions of the world that stand out for their climate ambitions were gathered, at the invitation of the Secretary General of the United Nations. The Canadian prime minister’s smile and optimistic tone rang particularly false as he delivered a brief speech announcing Canada’s intention to reduce its methane emissions by 75% from 2012 levels by 2030. He also highlighted the imminent adoption of a regulation on capping emissions from the oil sector.
Very pale promises for a country which, alone, is responsible for 10% of expansion projects in the oil and gas sector in the world, recalled earlier this month a report from the organization Oil Change International. Canada thus becomes, after the United States, the most important vector of expansion of the hydrocarbon sector by 2050.
Canada’s very invitation to this summit raises eyebrows, while other dunces of the same caliber were excluded from this diplomatic ceremony. The United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Australia were conspicuous by their absence, excluded due to their aberrant contribution to global emissions and their lack of concrete commitments to end their exploitation of fossil fuels. Still according to findings from Oil Change International, Canada and these four countries are responsible for more than half of the fossil sector’s expansion projects.
They are also among the richest nations in the world, which clearly have the means and resources to successfully transition away from hydrocarbons. The choice of inaction is above all political, even basely electoral. Take the United Kingdom, where the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, recently announced his intention to significantly dilute the measures promised by his government for the country to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Citizens, he argues, are already facing enough economic obstacles. We have to give them a chance.
We recognize this rhetoric well. At a time when, in developed economies, recession and the cost of living crisis are on everyone’s lips, it will become increasingly easy – and profitable – for leaders to relegate commitments to climate. We can clearly see this wave arriving here, where the areas of confrontation in anticipation of the 2025 federal elections are already clearly centered around the economy and the financial difficulties of households. Who will then dare to talk about a transition away from hydrocarbons?
This political reflex is absurd, since nothing has the potential to intensify economic hardship as much as climate deterioration. If we think that life is expensive today, wait and see when agricultural production collapses, when economic activity is constantly disrupted by chain disasters…
Yesterday, António Guterres, who is never short of shocking phrases, inaugurated the work of the Summit on climate ambition by declaring that “humanity has now opened the gates of hell”. The current rate of emissions, he recalled, is taking us towards an increase in global temperature of 2.8°C, outlining an unpredictable and dangerous future. His statement still resonated when Justin Trudeau spoke in front of the assembly, all smiles and wearing a dunce cap (imagined).
Last week, the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, blithely boasted of having been invited to participate in the work of the Summit on climate ambition. Badge of honor confirming Quebec’s status as “leader” in climate matters. Above all, we insisted on the fact that Quebec stands out in North America, by displaying the lowest rate of GHG emissions per capita.
Yes, Quebec is doing better than the rest of the Canadian provinces. This does not change the fact that Quebecers’ GHG emissions remain four times too high to limit warming to 1.5°C, and that the target for reducing total emissions adopted by François Legault’s government (37.5% compared to the 1990 level by 2030) is largely insufficient to maintain this course.
Quebecers are also among the most gluttonous when it comes to energy consumption — simply, we are fortunate to be able to count on a cleaner energy source than the majority of states around the world. A good to be cherished, without a doubt, but above all we reap the benefits of a visionary decision taken in the past. This in no way demonstrates a clear commitment to the energy transition, here and now.
The Legault government will undoubtedly wear this mark of recognition like a medal of honor; a card to brandish when criticizing the conduct of the CAQ in environmental matters. Let’s not be fooled. There is no honor in shining among dunces.
Columnist specializing in environmental justice issues, Aurélie Lanctôt is a doctoral student in law at McGill University.