Climate negotiations in Peru
Year after year, world leaders gather under the banner of the United Nations to discuss the devastating impacts of climate change. This time, the negotiations in Peru did not come as a big surprise. As is the tradition, delegates postponed a real conclusion to the talks until next year.
While it is important to continue the talks, it must be recognized that world leaders are passing the buck between rich and poor countries. The tendency is to avoid at all costs an agreement that would have the effect of restricting greenhouse gas emissions. Time is running out and we should ask ourselves whether we are not wasting our time.
Fighting climate change requires simple and concrete actions, as well as good faith actions by all jurisdictions. If the countries of the world are not prepared to enter into a formal agreement, we cannot sit back and do nothing. On the contrary, Canada must begin the process of reducing our GHG emissions.
Canada has all the tools it needs to stand out among the world’s developed countries. With the tar sands in our backyard, there is a golden opportunity to leave this oil in Alberta soil where it should stay, and demonstrate our ability to act, in order to position ourselves as a leader in environmental protection.
We also have all the tools to have a social economy, where the ultimate goal is not to consume more goods than our neighbour. Indeed, it is in our interest to evaluate our economic growth not only on the basis of our GDP, but also on the basis of many factors such as the well-being of the population, the environmental situation, and economic disparities between people.
The fight against climate change begins by curbing over-consumption and reviewing our economic models, which force us to constantly exploit and consume more natural resources to the detriment of our environment.
