1. Durban Climate Treaty Where are we now?

2. What’s up with Kyoto? Many European countries met their Kyoto targets. Canada, US, and Japan did not. Some countries used carbon trading to meet their objectives Kyoto ended at the end of 2012. Canada (Harper Gov.) pulled out of Kyoto this past December – said they would not stay in unless other major emitters came on board. The rest of the world was not impressed.

3. The goal for Durban? The question in Durban was how to bring the United States and the new large emitters (BASIC – Brazil, South Africa, India, China) into a new legally binding regulatory regime. Over half of emissions, and all of new growth in emissions now come from developing countries

4. How far did they get? A new "road map" (the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action) will guide countries towards a legal deal to cut carbon in 2015, but it will only come into affect after 2020. EU and a few other developed countries have signed on to an extension of Kyoto that will cover until new treaty takes hold in 2020. Many others did not, including Canada. This means that most countries, including the BASIC ones, will have only voluntary targets (no penalty if not met)

5. Who’s Hot? The EU countries claimed that they were the ones who pushed hard for the final “agreement” and they did agree to extend Kyoto

6. Who’s not? India and China were the “bad boys” and balked at legally binding targets. Their justification was"climate justice". They argue that they need to carry on emitting carbon to bring millions of people out of poverty over the next few decades.

7. What Else? Green Climate Fund (to help poorest countries deal with impacts of climate change) now stands at $90 billion/yr but does not start till 2020 Carbon Footprint of Durban was 15,000 tonnes. Trees were planted outside city to offset. But this does not include air travel for 13,000 delegates!

8. What are others saying about Canada’s stance on Climate Change? CBC ranked Canada 4 th worst out of 57 countries on their efforts to stop climate change (2010) Globe & Mail: “[Canada is] the dirty old man of the climate change world…[it is] part of the problem, not the solution” Won “fossil award” on the first day at Copenhagen – the country that has done the most to delay/disrupt negotiation for an agreement on a global reduction in carbon emissions David Suzuki: better to work with municipal & provincial governments than to reach out to federal government Last week (April 2013), Canada’s Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said CC was slowing down (not as much of a threat, and that oil sands contributions are “neglible”