Montreal, November 24, 2023 - From November 30 to December 12, as the world gathers in Dubai for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Équiterre will once again be among the environmental groups with access to the negotiations.
Équiterre’s delegation, Andréanne Brazeau, Climate Policy Analyst, and Marie-Eve Leclerc, Mobilization Project Manager, will be on-site to help hold governments accountable, explain the issues at stake, comment on the announcements, as well as amplify the voices of the most vulnerable groups in the face of the climate crisis.
"COP28 is taking place in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's largest producers of fossil fuels, like Canada. After another year of dealing with the consequences of the climate crisis, a rapid and planned exit from fossil fuels must be at the heart of the negotiations. It must be named in the texts and sped up with action."
-Andréanne Brazeau
"COP28 must be the COP of truth. We’ll be there with our allies to ensure that discussions focus on real solutions, not false ones. We need to collectively counteract the fossil fuel industry in its efforts to maintain a dangerous status quo. The climate crisis is driving up the cost of living and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities, while the sector most responsible for it continues to make record profits," adds the expert.
Events on disinformation and polarization
As part of the activities at the Canada and Francophonie Pavilions, Équiterre will be presenting, in partnership with the UNESCO Chair in the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Extremism, a panel on climate disinformation and polarization on December 2 and 5. These two dangerous trends benefit the fossil fuel industry, which has infiltrated and influenced major international conferences like COPs.
"With 600 industry lobbyists attending COP27 in Egypt last year and an even larger number expected this year in Dubai, this is a particularly relevant topic. The specialists taking part in our panels will share their ideas on how to counter the proliferation of false information and false solutions on climate issues," explains Marie-Eve Leclerc.
"No one can bury their head in the sand on this: disinformation and polarization are serious threats to environmental action, particularly in North America, according to the IPCC. These issues seem to have gained momentum since the pandemic. We need to understand their underlying causes in order to tackle them effectively," she adds.
The panelists will include Marie-Eve Carignan, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke and co-holder of the UNESCO-PREV Chair, Jake Dubbins, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Conscious Advertising Network, and Noora Firaq, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Climate Outreach.
Our expectations
At this COP, which will feature the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake, Équiterre will be in Dubai to ensure that:
The governments of Canada and Quebec, along with the rest of the world, recognize the gaps that need to be bridged between science and current commitments, and between those commitments and their implementation, to meet the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees.
Canada advances climate justice and is proactive in the negotiations, particularly with regard to the phase-out of fossil fuels and the global renewable energy target;
Quebec, one of the original members of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, takes leadership to encourage governments - including Canada - to abandon hydrocarbon production and exploration, and take action to reduce oil and gas consumption at home.
Équiterre's participation at COP28 is made possible by the financial support of the Government of Quebec through the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy and the Climate Municipalities Program.
Équiterre's offices are located on Indigenous lands that have not been ceded by treaty, which we now call Montreal and Quebec City. We recognize that Indigenous peoples have protected their territories since immemorial times and have used their traditional knowledge to guard the lands and waters. We are grateful to live on these lands and are committed to continuing our efforts to protect them. Read more »
For more information :
In Dubai
Andréanne Brazeau, analyste des politiques climatiques
438-342-5924 ; abrazeau@equiterre.org
In Québec
Anthony Côté Leduc, relations médias
514-605-2000 ; acoteleduc@equiterre.org
