Canada’s Climate Plan Must Not Forget Poorest, Most Vulnerable
Developing countries already at risk need ambitious support package
Katowice, Poland – Ahead of Environment Minister Catherine McKenna’s arrival in Poland, Canadian climate change advocates are calling for Canada to do more to help developing countries already facing the dire impacts of a changing climate.
The call comes on the heels of Minister McKenna’s announcement on Wednesday, that Canada will raise its ambition under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change before it comes into effect at the end of 2020.
“We recognize the significance of Canada’s expression of increased ambition under the Paris Agreement. As part of this ambition package, Canada needs to do more to live up to its obligations to developing countries, which is not only an urgent need, but part and parcel of efforts to raise climate ambition.”
Naomi Johnson, Policy Advisor at Canadian Foodgrains Bank & C4D co-chair
In 2009, developed countries committed to jointly mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries. This commitment was later integrated into the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals. Canada is party to both agreements.
“There is an international good news story here, in that flows of international climate finance are on the rise. But these flows still fall short of their targets – particularly in the area of gender-responsive adaptation finance, which is critical for building trust in the international climate goals, and ensuring the world’s poorest and most marginalized are not left behind.”
Shaughn McArthur, CARE Canada Policy and Advocacy Lead
Given its stated commitments in gender-responsive international assistance commitments, Canada needs to step up investments to help communities around the world withstand the impacts of climate change, which are already driving drought, hunger, malnutrition, migration and costly natural disasters.
C4D – Canadian Coalition for Change Change and Development – is a coalition of Canadian international development and environmental organizations working together to share knowledge and take concerted action to address climate change in Canada and abroad. Currently, C4D has 24 members that include Canadian NGOs, Civil Society Organizations and Research Institutions.