Canada will do more on emissions

A climate change agreement signed by the Commonwealth has made clinching a deal at the upcoming Paris COP21 talks more likely, the 53-country organization said Sunday.

At a summit where leaders stressed urgency, the Prime Minister avoided questions about when the new national climate plan he promises to negotiate with premiers will be completed.

The UN has no power to enforce national emission targets and past enforcement measures failed miserably, he said.

Changes to the climate are already producing negative impacts on wildlife and people, including lost sea ice, reduced snowpack and water flows, increased water temperatures, and increased forest fires.

The broader goal of COP21 is to have countries commit to greenhouse gas targets and emissions reductions that will prevent the average global temperature from increasing a potentially devastating two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Ontario is also collaborating with California and Canada’s French-speaking province of Quebec to develop a cap-and-trade system that sets a limit on the amount of pollution industry can produce and a mechanism by which companies over their quota can buy carbon credits from those that don’t use all of theirs.

“This absolutely is the largest climate change rally we have ever seen in Australian history”, rally organiser Victoria McKenzie-McHarg told an estimated 60,000-strong crowd in Melbourne.

Canada is also showing that it’s serious about putting a price on carbon by joining the World Bank’s Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

He’ll also take part in an event with U.S. President Barack Obama where 20 countries are expected to pledge new funding toward clean technology innovation in an alliance with some of the world’s highest-profile private sector investors.

He said terrorism was affecting everyone and the Commonwealth has a vital role to play in broadening worldwide efforts to counter extremism.

“We talked about the best next investments in transit and transportation to reduce climate pollution and help relieve congestion as well”, Robertson said, adding he is “relentlessly” pushing for the mayors’ 10-year plan that includes Surrey light rail and major bus investments. More than 190 countries will join talks in Paris to attempt reaching a deal to slow down climate change.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II hosted a gala dinner on Friday (Nov 27) for the leaders attending the Commonwealth Summit in Malta and showed that being almost 90 years old has not dimmed her ability to make a witty riposte.

However, Cullen, a member of Parliament from British Columbia, was troubled by McKenna’s comments Sunday.

About 100 protesters found to have projectiles or other suspicious objects were detained after some demonstrations turned violent, said the Paris police chief, Michel Cadot.