Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European leaders strongly defended the effectiveness of their respective carbon pricing policies on Friday, a month after a first breach was opened in the Canadian tax in this area.
“Carbon pricing is an important tool, not only to fight climate change, but also to create economic opportunities for our entrepreneurs, our families and to help with the costs of living,” declared Mr. Trudeau from Saint -John from Newfoundland.
During a joint press briefing with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mr. Trudeau touted the price on pollution.
The three leaders emphasized these initiatives as a global strategy to reduce greenhouse gases. “This transition must be fair, just, and it is complicated,” said Mr. Michel during the two-day Canada-EU summit in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In their joint declaration, the EU and Ottawa announced “the creation of a Green Alliance [qui] will tighten [la] already close cooperation on climate action and supporting the work [qui est accompli par] both to foster the growth of economies that are sustainable, competitive and provide quality jobs.”
The President of the European Council presented the principle of carbon pricing as a “powerful and rather effective instrument for encouraging behavioral changes”.
He also argued that this type of measure serves to “give a signal [aux] economic actors so that they can identify which are the spaces for investments which are compatible with this climate commitment”.
Mr. Michel did not fail to highlight the climate objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Last month, the Trudeau government announced it was making a temporary dent in its flagship carbon pricing policy.
The exemption granted by Justin Trudeau to Canadians is, more precisely, a three-year reprieve from carbon taxation for homeowners who rely on an oil heating system. The Liberals are also providing funding to help people switch to electric heating.
The Canadians most affected by this carbon tax holiday are those who live in Atlantic Canada.
“This is a limited temporary suspension and this will be the only exception we will make,” Mr. Trudeau insisted on Friday.
The Canadian ambassador to France, Stéphane Dion, added by affirming that “in politics […] you have to keep the people with you.”
“So we are trying to move forward, but keeping people with us. If we want purists, the purists cannot keep power and they cannot even take it. We want to have pragmatic and courageous politicians,” he said in the press scrum.
Mr. Dion, a former federal minister, is also Canadian special envoy to the European Union and Europe. On Friday morning, he took part in an extended bilateral meeting during which several politicians and other senior diplomats joined MM. Michel and Trudeau as well as Mme Von der Leyen.
The latter affirmed, at a press conference, that carbon pricing has worked in Europe despite the pressures generated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine on energy needs.
Questioned on this subject by The Canadian Press, she admitted to having had “at the start” a certain “concern” about the impacts on the consumption of fossil fuels.
“But it is the opposite that is [finalement] the case,” said the President of the European Commission. She argued that in 2022, the economy grew by 3.5% while emissions fell by 2.5%.
In the eyes of Roger Hilton, an expert collaborating on research for the GLOBSEC think tank, carbon pricing may be more complex in terms of its concrete effects in certain European countries.
“Particularly in the East like Slovakia, Hungary or Poland, where they must find other forms of energy so that they do not use Russian sources,” mentioned the native Montrealer who has lived in Europe for many years.
Research and air tankers
The leaders also confirmed, following the summit, that an agreement on research funding was in the works.
At the opening of the Canada-European Union summit, the Canadian Prime Minister affirmed that Ottawa was joining the initiative nicknamed Horizon Europe, a European scientific research program totaling $100 billion.
Mr. Trudeau also announced on Friday that the new generation air tankers promised to Europe will indeed be sent once they have been built in Canada.
Asked why the first devices would not be used for the benefit of Canadians, considering last summer’s record forest fire season, the Prime Minister responded that he did not lead a country that “prevents its friends from get the support they need.”
He noted that extreme weather events are shaking all four corners of the planet.
“We must continue to be present and generous to each other,” he pleaded. He added that Canadians will benefit, in the longer term, from Canadian-built air tankers.
Demonstration of friendship
The three leaders began their working day on Friday with a three-way bilateral meeting of approximately 30 minutes.
All three wanted to make a very concrete demonstration of the bonds of friendship between Europe and Canada, throwing flowers at each other in front of the group of journalists and photographers gathered together.
Charles Michel declared that “trust and friendship” are “truly the foundations of the relationship between the European Union and Canada.”
“We share the same values, the same dreams, the same hopes,” he then maintained.
European leaders have reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
According to Roger Hilton, Canada and the European Union are not in a position of diplomatic leadership that would put an end to the violence between Israel and Hamas.
“It is clear that the two major international players who will resolve the problem with the hostages would not be the European Union and especially not Canada. We really saw great leadership [dans] the role of Qatar with the United States,” summarized the man who specializes in security issues.
The EU and Canada also took advantage of the summit in Newfoundland to display a united front against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.