New leaders in Canada and Australia offer new hope for Paris

[Oscar]

New leaders in Canada and Australia offer new hope for Paris climate talks

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By Ben Adler on 4 Nov 2015

For the last several years, as the U.S. has grown more serious about addressing climate change, two of our staunchest allies have moved in the opposite direction. Australia and Canada have been governed by their respective conservative parties and they’ve been obstacles to global progress on climate change.

Thanks to their vast fossil fuel reserves and sprawling development patterns, Canada and Australia are the 10th and 18th biggest carbon emitters and among the highest per capita. As in the U.S., these countries’ fossil fuel–heavy regions are among the most conservative and so they have a lot of sway with the right-leaning party. Last year, Australia’s then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott tried to assemble an axis of inaction on climate change that would have included Canada and, he hoped, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and maybe India. Canada was the only country to seemingly embrace Abbott’s message. At a joint press conference with Abbott last year, Canada’s then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper derided a carbon tax as “job-killing.” Both countries submitted underwhelming climate action pledges, known as intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), ahead of the U.N. climate negotiations in Paris.

But just in time for those Paris talks, which begin on Nov. 30, Canada and Australia have traded in their right-wing prime ministers for more moderate ones who are likely to take a more cooperative approach to international climate policy

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Thanks to their vast fossil fuel reserves and sprawling development patterns, Canada and Australia are the 10th and 18th biggest carbon emitters and among the highest per capita. As in the U.S., these countries’ fossil fuel–heavy regions are among the most conservative and so they have a lot of sway with the right-leaning party. Last year, Australia’s then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott tried to assemble an axis of inaction on climate change that would have included Canada and, he hoped, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and maybe India. Canada was the only country to seemingly embrace Abbott’s message. At a joint press conference with Abbott last year, Canada’s then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper derided a carbon tax as “job-killing.” Both countries submitted underwhelming climate action pledges, known as intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), ahead of the U.N. climate negotiations in Paris.

But just in time for those Paris talks, which begin on Nov. 30, Canada and Australia have traded in their right-wing prime ministers for more moderate ones who are likely to take a more cooperative approach to international climate policy.Climate activists also note that, unlike the Conservatives, Liberal governments in Canada can be moved by leftward pressure. And so that pressure is being applied already. “If anything, having Trudeau gives us more reason to push hard,” says Henn. Trudeau is assuming office today, and climate activists will be there to greet him. “On Thursday, we’re kicking off our climate welcome: four days of sit-ins in Ottawa. We’ll be doing civildisobedience in front of Trudeau’s house. The point is to say, ‘It’s good you got elected, it’s good we got Harper out of there, but we want to see action.’” 350.org’s policy demands, says Henn, are a freeze on tar-sands developments, to block any expansion of the sector, and “a plan for a just transition to a renewable energy economy.”

Even if Trudeau disappoints on those issues, he’ll still be a huge improvement over his predecessor. “The Harper government went on a campaign to muzzle scientists who raised climate change as an issue and strip environmental regulations that might slow tar-sands expansion,” says Swift. “Trudeau is going to reverse a lot of those stances. We’re going to see more open discussion of climate in Canada. Much of the damage that Harper did to Canadian environmental review is likely to be undone.”

On climate change, our closest allies might start acting like it again.