The slogan "DECARBONIZE" is projected on the Eiffel Tower as part of the COP21, United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, Friday, Dec. 11, 2015. While Canada's environment minister applauds the newly approved "Paris agreement" on climate change, some say that merely signing the pact isn't enough.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Francois Mori
December 12, 2015 - 4:30 PM
While Canada's environment minister applauds the newly approved "Paris agreement" on climate change, some say that merely signing the pact isn't enough.
Nearly 200 countries agreed to a deal on Saturday that asks all countries to limit their greenhouse gas emissions for the first time.
The agreement limits temperature rise to two degrees Celsius.
On Twitter, Catherine McKenna writes that she's proud to be part of the agreement, saying it makes history and is "for our children."
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion also tweeted his support for the agreement, praising its "ambitious targets".
Conservative environment critic Ed Fast says the climate deal means little without official emissions targets from the federal government.
He says the government should be consulting with the country's "major emitters" before agreeing to any targets.
Fast also expressed concern about job losses in the energy sector. He says tens of thousands of jobs have already been lost, and the new agreement sets the stage for even more cuts.
Both NDP leader Tom Mulcair and World Wildlife Fund Canada also say merely approving the agreement isn't enough.
They say the Canadian government must act to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Canada should have already set "ambitious" federal emissions targets, said an NDP statement, which also called for Canada to move toward to a low-carbon economy to develop new, cleaner technology.
Erin Flanagan, the federal policy director of Pembina Institute, says the federal government should establish a climate change plan quickly.
She said provincial commitments won't be enough to reduce emissions, but the agreement "[underscores] a powerful global transition away from high-carbon fossil fuels."
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015