Minister of the Environment Leona Aglukkaq is in Warsaw, Poland, to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), being held November 18-22.
The UNFCCC is an international treaty with 195 launched member countries and organizations. It was launched in 1992 with the goal of studying how global temperature increases and resulting climate change could be mitigated. In 1997 the convention adopted the Kyoto Protocol.
Aglukkaq said the federal government is committed to establishing a climate change agreement with all major emitters.
"Canada is taking a leadership role in international climate change efforts by focusing on delivering significant environmental and economic benefits for all Canadians," Aglukkaq said.
"Our actions have resulted in real progress through avenues such as UNFCCC, Arctic Council and Climate and Clean Air Coalition [CCAC]."
Not everyone is happy with the federal government's work on reducing climate change so far.
A survey published November 18 by the David Suzuki Foundation found that most Canadians believe human activity affects climate change and that there are steps that can be taken to address this, including shifting energy requirements to more renewable forms of energy.
The study found the public's confidence in government taking the lead in addressing climate change declined from 59% in 2012 to 53% in 2013.
"The results underscore the need for the Canadian government to change its past practices and become a constructive global citizen at the UN climate change summit in Warsaw," said Ian Bruce, science and policy manager at the David Suzuki Foundation.
"Canada's job in Warsaw should be to collaborate with countries around the world to come up with an effective and binding international agreement to reduce global warming emissions."
The Arctic Council is a forum established in 1996 that focuses on sustainable development and environmental issues in the Arctic. The member states are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States.
The CCAC consists of several member countries including Canada and the United States, environmental agencies from around the world and a science advisory panel. Its mandate is to raise awareness of short-lived climate pollutants.
