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Climate Action Network Canada calls on Canada to respond to United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report

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Ottawa, November 19, 2014 - The United Nation’s Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Fifth Emissions Gap report, released today, shows there is an urgent need for governments to ramp up their 2020 commitments to cut greenhouse gases if the world is to stay within the global carbon budget needed to keep climate disrupting temperature increases below 20C.

According to the UNEP analysis, current government commitments fall short by at least 18% (8 to 10 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) and many governments, including Canada, are not on target to reach even these inadequate targets. As we head into the next round of UN climate negotiations in Lima, Peru, the focus is on new targets for 2025 and beyond. “We call on Canada and all government to do more to reach their current targets and to commit in Lima to increase their ambition for 2020 to set us on track for the longer-term phase out of emissions,” said Steven Guilbault, Équiterre.
Canada, Australia, Mexico and the U.S. were singled out by UNEP as requiring additional action to meet their 2020 targets. “Canada must introduce regulations that drastically cut emissions from the oil and gas sector to show the world we are serious about this issue as we head into the Lima negotiating sessions,” said Louise Comeau, Climate Action Network Canada.

UNEP reminds us in its Gap report that there are many opportunities for cost-effectively cutting emissions and shifting our economies to clean energy. “Canada needs to seize these opportunities by committing to ramping up investments in renewable energy to power our homes, buildings and vehicles,” said John Bennett, Sierra Club of Canada.
Today's report comes on the back of another blockbuster report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report which was released on November 1 and endorsed by governments. It said that the only way our economies can still prosper is if we both phase out fossil fuel pollution entirely and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

About Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada:
Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada (CAN-Rac) is the Canadian node of Climate Action Network International, a network of over 900 organizations working to phase out carbon pollution by mid-century . CAN-Rac is a national network comprised of over 100 member organizations from across the country, representing aboriginal, faith-based, labour and environmental NGOs.

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For more information, contact:

Dr. Louise Comeau, Executive Director
Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada
Email : lcomeau@climateactionnetwork.ca, Toll free : +1 855 CLIM NET (254 6638); 1-506-238-0355

Steven Guilbault, Senior Director, Équiterre, 1-514-231-2650

John Bennett, Sierra Club of Canada, 1-613-291-6888