Canada heads to UN climate summit in Turkey with finance, fossil fuel transition on the agenda
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transition → head → agenda
U.S. retreat from climate, foreign aid leaves opening for middle powers, experts say
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experts → leave → powers
Canada heads to the UN's annual climate summit, COP31, defending its fossil fuel expansion at home while seeking influence on clean energy, climate finance and the global transition away from fossil fuels.
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Canada → head → fuels
With the U.S. retreating from international climate diplomacy, Canada has an opening to play a larger role in the negotiations.
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Canada → retreat → negotiations
But experts say recent climate-policy rollbacks at home could complicate its efforts to do so.
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rollbacks → say → efforts
"We feel like Canada's credibility is on the line," said Pratishta Singh, international diplomacy manager at Climate Action Network Canada, a non-governmental group.
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Singh → feel → Canada
"Canada cannot position itself as a climate leader internationally while … doubling down on fossil fuel infrastructure."
The UN summit runs from Nov. 9-20 in the resort town of Antalya, Turkey.
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summit → position → Antalya
It is the first since the U.S., under President Donald Trump, pulled out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, although his administration largely boycotted the previous COP30 summit as well.
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administration → pull → summit
That withdrawal could leave more room for so-called middle powers such as Canada, which has historically supported international climate diplomacy and co-operation.
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which → leave → diplomacy
Canada does not appear to be shying away from the UN process despite its recent climate-policy rollbacks.
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Canada → appear → rollbacks
A significant diplomatic contingent, led by federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin, will attend COP31, along with a dedicated Canada Pavilion hosting side events involving government, think tanks and NGO groups.
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contingent → lead → government
"I do think that there will be some heat from groups about the stepbacks on some of the climate policies that we've seen over the past year.
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we → think → year
So, I think it'll be up and down," said Philip Gass, who leads research on Canadian energy at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a climate and energy policy think tank.
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who → think → Development
"Depending what the topic of the day is, it might be a little bit rocky for Canada.
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it → depend → Canada
Brazil, which hosted last year's climate conference in the Amazonian city of Belém, proposed a roadmap for countries to transition away from fossil fuels.
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countries → host → fuels
The plan would help countries establish targets to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and replace them with clean sources of energy.
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countries → help → energy
But reaching an agreement among the more than 180 countries proved elusive.
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reaching → reach → countries
Decisions at UN climate summits require consensus among participating nations, and a smaller coalition of countries willing to move ahead, including Canada, met in Colombia in April to discuss the issue separately.
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coalition → require → issue
What this coalition of countries now wants is concrete plans to transition away from fossil fuels, not just resolutions or promises.
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wants → want → fuels
They want countries to set specific dates and targets for ending the use of oil, gas and coal, along with a formal mechanism through which developing countries can apply for financial or technical assistance to aid their own transitions.
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countries → want → transitions
This could put particular pressure on countries such as Canada, which has a large oil and gas sector.
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which → put → sector
Gass says the federal Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act, passed by the Justin Trudeau government in 2024, is "aligned with a lot of the principles of just transition" away from fossil fuels.
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Act → say → fuels
But Canada's continued expansion of fossil fuel production complicates its position, he said.
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he → continue → position
"It would be very hard, for example, for Canada to look to lead a process being a fossil fuel producer that has expanded fossil fuel production this year," Gass said.
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Gass → look → production
"That doesn't mean they can't be constructively involved in the discussion."
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they → mean → discussion
Singh said Canada needs to match its words at international conferences with "serious domestic implementation" of the sustainable jobs law to be taken seriously by other countries.
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Canada → say → countries
Earlier this year, the federal government released a strategy that was criticized by the NDP and labour experts for not doing enough for workers.
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that → release → workers
The sustainable jobs strategy acknowledges that global efforts to reduce emissions will reshape industries, and the government says Canada must ensure the shift improves job quality and supports growth.
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shift → acknowledge → growth
Canada can point to its investments in clean electricity as evidence of its climate ambitions.
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Canada → point → ambitions
The federal government announced major investments in electricity production in the budget released last week.
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government → announce → budget
It has now proposed more than $100 billion in various commitments to boost clean electricity projects over the next three decades.
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It → propose → decades
Julia Levin, who studies national climate policy at the advocacy group Environmental Defence, said the funding announcements were "positive, but underwhelming."
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announcements → study → group
She pointed out that the government has weakened federal clean electricity regulations, allowing more electricity to be generated from natural gas, a fossil fuel.
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electricity → point → gas
But Canada's recent investments, including a major push for nuclear energy, could give it some clout at COP31.
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investments → include → COP31
The summit's presidency wants countries to work toward an ambitious new electrification target: increasing the global share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20 per cent today to 35 per cent by 2035.
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countries → want → 2035
Meeting that target would require countries to significantly scale up clean electricity production, which aligns with what Canada is trying to do.
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Canada → meet → what
Climate finance
Finance for developing countries, a longtime sticking point in climate negotiations, has become an even bigger problem since the U.S. largely shut down its foreign aid agency.
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U.S. → develop → agency
Aid budgets have declined in other high-income countries as well.
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budgets → decline → countries
Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin is leading Canada's delegation to the COP31 summit in Turkey.
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Dabrusin → lead → Turkey
Canada is expected to focus on issues like climate finance and clean energy.
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Canada → expect → finance
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
