| Australia’s Minister for Climate Change Greg Combet (left) speaks with Canada’s Environment Minister Peter Kent during a break in plenary session at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban December 10, 2011. REUTERS/Rogan Ward |
The international conference on climate change in Durban, South Africa was supposed to wrap up on Friday but without a deal, all countries kept going and, early Sunday morning, came up with what they’re calling the Durban Platform. Here, for the record, is Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent’s statement on Durban Platform:
In the early morning hours of Sunday, a new, broad agreement was reached by the 195 countries gathered for the COP17. The Durban Platform sets out a process to negotiate a new climate change treaty that would create binding commitments for all major emitters.
“Although these negotiations will be difficult, we are cautiously optimistic that we will reach a new agreement by 2015.
“We want to avoid another Kyoto-like pact at all costs. Kyoto was not effective and was not good for Canada. The previous government should not have ratified it.
The Durban Platform is a fair and balanced framework for responsible and effective action of the kind provided under the Cancun Agreements, adopted at COP16 and flowing from the Copenhagen Accord.
Canada has been clear that we would not undertake a second Kyoto commitment period. Nor will we devote scarce dollars to capitalize the new Green Climate Fund – part of the Durban agreement – until all major emitters accept legally binding reduction targets and transparent accounting of greenhouse gas inventory.
Canada’s goal is to see real reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why we are taking concrete steps domestically and why we are an active member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Canada will continue to work with our international partners on fair, effective and comprehensive ways to address climate change when Qatar assumes the COP presidency in the coming year.”
As always, we will continue to act in the best interests of Canada and Canadians. And we hope countries will join us in this global effort by undertaking concrete and quantified measures to reduce emissions significantly.