Notes for an address by The Honourable David Anderson, P.C., M.P. Minister of the Environment on the occasion of the deposit of Canada's Instruments of Ratification for the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change   New York, NY December 17, 2002

Speech delivered by the Hon. David Anderson P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment

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Ladies and gentlemen,

This is a great day for the planet, for Canada and for the world.

Today, Canada is pleased to become the 100^th country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Climate change was identified as a pressing issue by the United Nations in 1972, at the first UN-sponsored conference on the environment, in Stockholm. And since, then, Canada has been at the forefront of the international response to what is a global problem.

In 1979, the First World Climate Conference was convened leading to the establishment of the World Climate Program. That very year, Canada set up the Canadian Climate Program Board to provide a national forum to allow a domestic discussion with our provinces and territories and with the various sectors of our society, including industry and environmentalists, on issues related to the climate.

In 1987, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development adopted the concept of "sustainable development" realizing that humanity has to grow economically while integrating environmental factors in order to maintain a healthy planet for future generations.

In 1988, Canada hosted, in Toronto, a Conference on the Changing Atmosphere. This happened during what was then the warmest summer on record. The Toronto Conference ended with a resolution recommending the reduction of CO2 emissions by 20% from 1988 levels by the year 2005.

Canada then played a leadership role in making the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 a success. A main feature of the Summit was the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Canada ratified the Convention in the following months committing our country to prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the climate. In the Convention, developed countries also committed to adopt policies and measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs with a view to stabilizing emissions at 1990 levels by 2000.

Realizing that voluntary action was not enough, countries of the world engaged in international negotiations that led to the conclusion of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, by which developed countries committed to targets and timelines for the reduction of emissions and agreed to the architecture for long-term actions in order to reach the ultimate goal of the Framework Convention of avoiding dangerous human influence on the climate.

In Kyoto, Canada was at the forefront of discussions to ensure that the Protocol would be environmentally comprehensive and would operate on the basis of sustainable development. The treaty ensures that the environmental objectives can be reached, and allows the use of economic instruments and flexible market-based approaches.

In the subsequent international meetings in The Hague, Bonn and Marrakech, to determine the rules for the Kyoto Protocol, Canada worked very hard, in fact, was a leader in maintaining the environmental integrity and the flexibility of the Protocol. A fundamental principle of the Framework Convention is that "policies and measures should … be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouses gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic sectors."

Under Canada's leadership, the carbon cycle of the biomass, in forests and agricultural soils, has been included, ensuring a comprehensive coverage of climate change measures. Under Canada's leadership, the full flexibility of the various market mechanisms has been ensured.

In parallel to being a very active participant in international discussions, Canada has been working very hard, domestically, with all sectors of our society to develop our own national plan to meet our Kyoto target. We have been working closely with our provinces and territories, with our communities, with our industries, our non-governmental organizations and all other interested parties.

These discussions led to the Climate Change Plan for Canada. It maps out a comprehensive and detailed approach to the work we have to do. It proposes a national goal - for Canadians to become the most sophisticated and efficient consumers and producers of energy in the world and leaders in the development of new, cleaner, climate-friendly technologies. We will continue to work with our partners in Canada and elsewhere to ensure effective implementation.

Today's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol follows a historic debate in our Parliament, where a strong majority across party lines agreed that we do so.

I am proud, today, to express the desire by the people of Canada to be part of the global effort to address what is truly a global issue. Canada believes that global problems should be addressed by the United Nations and intends to be an active partner of the United Nations.

Thank you very much.