OTTAWA: Canada’s Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, is embarking on a crucial visit to Beijing to participate in talks centered on combatting climate change and safeguarding biodiversity. This marks the first visit by a Canadian minister to China in four years, highlighting the urgency of global cooperation on pressing environmental challenges.
In a concerted effort to address critical environmental issues, Guilbeault’s visit underscores the international community’s growing commitment to fostering collaboration on climate and sustainability matters. Guilbeault, who previously championed environmental causes with organizations like Greenpeace, expressed his hopes for candid conversations with Chinese counterparts regarding climate change during his visit.
Collective Efforts to Combat Climate Change
“Maybe there are ways we can cooperate,” Guilbeault stated, acknowledging the shared responsibility of both Canada and China as substantial carbon emitters. He highlighted the potential for bilateral cooperation to yield impactful solutions to these pressing global issues.
Participating in the annual meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), a climate advisory body to the Chinese government, Guilbeault will engage in discussions from August 28 to 30. He plans to address key matters such as methane emissions reduction and a global renewable energy target, which are critical components of the discourse leading up to the United Nations climate change conference later this year.
Guilbeault highlighted the potential for collaboration in addressing methane emissions, stating, “There’s a lot of low hanging fruit in terms of methane emission. This is a conversation we can have with the Chinese government, and maybe we could work on that together.”
Moreover, the Canadian minister seeks to build on previous joint efforts with China, such as the UN nature summit hosted by Canada and co-led by China in late 2022. The summit culminated in a landmark global agreement to safeguard ecosystems, which underpin half of the world’s economy.
