Canada has 'responsibility to lead by example,' UN environment chief says

Canada needs to decarbonize andinvest in green technology in order to keep the economy competitive, the head of the UN's environment program urged Wednesdayin an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics.

"The future markets, the technologies, the energy systems will be low carbon," saidAchimSteiner, executive director of UNEP.

"Whatever decisions Canada takes right now areabout reducing the footprint in emissions, but also about investing in terms of technology, in terms of businesses and markets that will support and make Canada competitive in the future."

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His comments comeasEnvironment Minister Catherine McKenna reaffirmedthegovernment would invest$300million a yearin clean technology. The commitment was part of the Liberal campaign promise to helpcreateclean jobs.

Steinerbelieves the future will be built on renewable energy."Whetheryou build the next pipeline or not...the economy of Canada will not be centred around a fossil-fuel based extractive economy."

Pressed byPower & Politicshost Rosemary Bartonon whether Canada was arriving at the party late, Steinersaid: "there are some countries that have moved faster and some have moved slower, but Canada has all the opportunities andI think also through the commitments that it made in Paris, a responsibility to now lead by example."

Steinerpraised Canada's appearanceat the UN Climate Summit in Paris sayingCanada "very quickly took centre stage... in a very short period of time becoming a central player again on the global stage."

Steineris inOttawa to celebrate the life of Canadian diplomat Maurice Strong, the first head of the UN Environment Programme, who died in November.

In advance of the UN climate summit in Paris late last year,Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged $2.65 billion to a UN fund tohelpdeveloping countries fight climate change.

Steinersaid Canada's commitments were significant but that he would like to see private sector investment follow public funds.

"In most countries across the world, governments will mobilize perhaps 10 to 15 per cent of the needed investments the rest will be coming from the private sector."

The environmental group Climate Action Network Canada, for one, has called on the governmenttocontribute $4 billion a year to help poorer countries, what they call Canada's "fairshare".

Watch the full interview in the player below.

UN environment chief says Canada must decarbonize, invest in green technology

9 years ago

Duration 8:14

Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, says Canada has a responsibility to lead by example on climate change