Commonwealth Seeks Legally Binding Climate Deal in Paris

Well-known Canadian environmentalist, scientist and broadcaster David Suzuki, who joined thousands in Ottawa on Sunday for a march in support of government action on climate change, credited Trudeau for quickly initiating “a massive reversal” in the Canadian government’s approach to the issue.

Members of the Islamic State group launched coordinated attacks November 13 on a soccer stadium and other venues in and around Paris, killing 130. Over 200 people were arrested, and riot police responded with tear gas. “As a country, we also remain committed to helping rebuild the democratic, economic and security institutions that will help Ukraine flourish once more”, Trudeau said.

Though global warming topped the agenda at the 2015 summit, world leaders also tackled the hot-button issues of extremism, corruption and migration.

At a news conference Monday on the conference site, Trudeau said the three-month election campaign this fall that propelled his Liberals to power showed him that Canadians are ready to pitch in on fighting climate change.

But now it is expected the COP21 summit would perhaps help world leaders to commit to lowering gas emissions in order to save our world from collapse and attendant environmental disruptions.

“Canada is proud to be a partner in this ambitious global initiative”, Trudeau said in a release.

The Queen replied to Mr Trudeau’s toast by saying: “Thank you, Mr Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old”, causing gales of laughter among the assembled guests.

And in his speech Monday, he said the policies to come include carbon pricing, which he has promised on a national scale, as well as “support for energy efficiency, clean electricity and transport, and sustainable buildings and infrastructure”.

‘When the planet speaks we have no choice but to listen, and it has been speaking to us with a daunting eloquence over the last few years. Quickly after that action is needed that begins to actually reduce emissions and helps Canadians adapt to the impacts of changes to the climate, according to Wade Luzny, CEO of Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also told media Canada still has work to do.

Former Liberal governments failed miserably at meeting their Kyoto Protocol targets and the Conservatives were nowhere near on-pace to achieve their targets from the Copenhagen accord, he said.

“It’s such a weird feeling to be in agreement with my government again on things related to climate change”, said Guilbeault, who has been attending global climate conferences for two decades.

Addressing the UN climate change summit in Paris, Muscat cited a joint statement signed during last week’s CHOGM in which the 53 Commonwealth nations agreed to back a legally-binding global climate deal in the form of a protocol.