Canadian youth delegation releases policy requests delivered to Canadian government
By Contributor
As youth from across Canada prepare to depart for Durban, South Africa to participate in the next round of United Nations Climate Negotiations they have released a list of five policy changes submitted to the Canadian Delegation.
“These requests represent five things that Canada could do immediately to stop being part of the problem when it comes to climate change, and start being part of the solution,” said Amara Possian, the delegation coordinator.
In a recent meeting the CYD presented the Canadian Delegation with five concrete policy demands: to (1) stop subsidies to oil and gas companies and redirect money to alternative energy, (2) end new oil and gas developments, (3) invest in green and just jobs, (4) reject false solutions such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and World Bank climate financing, and (5) stop lobbying foreign governments to not reduce emissions and start working with them to come to a fair, ambitious, and legally binding agreement.
COP 17 will continue the difficult task of reaching an international agreement on climate change, allowing the world to unify their response to the ever-accelerating climate crisis. Negotiators from around the world are pushing to make progress by 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol, in its current iteration, will be retired. Meanwhile, Environment Minister Peter Kent recently stated that Canada would absolutely not be signing on to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, in spite of growing international pressure.
“It’s simple – Canada needs to put people ahead of polluters in Durban,” said Cameron Fenton, National Director of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition. “We are on the verge of run-away climate change and our government seems to be more interested in peddling petroleum than preserving the planet, this needs to change,” he added.
For more information on the CYD, please visit www.cyd-djc.org
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