At a glance: Canada’s international action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution

Canada is taking action at home to protect the environment and drive clean growth. But the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, including plastic pollution, can only be solved with international cooperation.

Canada is working with partners around the world to fight these global challenges through many channels, including agreements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Canada is also active in other international fora such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Global Environment Facility, the G7 and the G20, as well as regional cooperation.

Canada also has strong bilateral relationships to advance key climate and environment goals at home and abroad.

Climate change

The Montreal Protocol

• In Canada and around the world, the Montreal Protocol controls substances that damage the ozone layer and expose the Earth to harmful UV radiation. It has helped to phase out 99% of the production and use of substances that weaken the ozone layer. Studies show that the decrease in these substances due to the Montreal Protocol will avoid up to 1° Celsius of global warming by mid-century.

The UN climate change conference and the Paris Agreement

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement strengthen global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change. Countries and experts from all levels of society meet at the annual climate change Conference of the Parties (COP) to share, coordinate and accelerate climate efforts. This global event provides a forum for Canada to show progress on many initiatives, including building a low carbon economy.

Climate finance

• Canada is providing $5.3 billion in climate finance from 2021-2026 to help developing countries transition to sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature-positive and inclusive development. Canada's climate finance commitment focuses on four main areas:
  • clean energy transition and coal phase-out
  • climate-smart agriculture and food systems
  • nature-based solutions and biodiversity
  • climate governance

Powering Past Coal Alliance

• In 2017, Canada and the United Kingdom launched the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA)  to accelerate clean growth by rapidly phasing-out conventional coal-powered electricity. The PPCA has grown to over 180 members and has helped ensure that over 75 percent of coal power in Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) member countries is on track to end by 2030.

Global Carbon Pricing Challenge

• Canada launched the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge (GCPC) in 2021 at COP26.  It calls for a partnership of carbon pricing champions from around the world to expand the use of carbon pricing.   The Challenge helps strengthen existing systems and supports emerging ones. The Challenge also creates a forum for discussion and coordination to better understand policy design choices and to support other countries in adopting carbon pricing.

Global Methane Pledge

• Canada joined the Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26, which works to reduce human-caused methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Canada is a Global Methane Pledge Champion country, pushing for faster action to achieve the Pledge and inspire further progress by participants and supporters.

G7, G20 and other fora

• Canada works with its partners through the G7 and G20 to push for ambitious global climate action, especially by the world's major economies and emitters. Through these fora, the world's leading economies can help set the agenda and drive ambition in the lead-up to the annual UNFCCC Conference of the Parties. For example, in 2022 and 2023, the G7 made strong commitments on energy transition, including on phasing out conventional fossil fuels, such as coal, and calling for global renewable energy capacity to be tripled. This helped set the stage for important commitments on these issues by all countries at COP28 in December 2023.

Biodiversity loss

UN Biodiversity conference

• The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was first signed by 150 governments at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Countries now meet every two years for a Conference of the Parties (COP). Its main goals are to conserve biological diversity and use it sustainably, and to fairly and equitably share the benefits of genetic resources. Canada hosted the 15th UN biodiversity Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Montréal, Quebec, in 2022. At COP15, governments from around the world agreed to the historic Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework in order to protect nature and stop and reverse biodiversity loss. The Framework puts nature on a path to recovery by 2050.

Partnership on Cooperation on Nature Capital Accounting, Environmental-Economic Accounting, and Related Statistics

• In 2023, Canada joined the United States of America and Australia on an initiative that will help decision makers account for nature in economic planning. The partnership recognizes that natural resources are capital assets that are critical for economic growth. Natural resources must be included in planning in order to address climate change, biodiversity loss and decreases in natural capital wealth.

G7, G20 and other fora

• As fora of the world's major economies, Canada works with its partners in the G7 and G20 to help drive leadership in stopping and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.  The G7, in particular, has been an important forum to push for the historic adoption of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP15 and its swift and effective implementation. This has included leading efforts on a global 30 percent conservation target by 2030, and in key areas like finance for nature, ending subsidies harmful to nature, invasive alien species, and promoting the leadership role of Indigenous Peoples.

Pollution including plastic pollution

International Legally Binding Agreement on Plastic Pollution (in development)

• In 2022, the international community committed to developing a global legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. Canada has been actively involved in its development and hosted the fourth of five planned sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa in April 2024. INC-4 was the largest, most diverse and inclusive gathering to date, and was very successful in ensuring progress in the negotiations. The fifth session (INC-5) took place in November 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
• Canada is a proud member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of more than 65 countries representing every UN region with the goal to end plastic pollution by 2040 and develop an ambitious and effective agreement. In addition, Canada launched the Host Country Alliance alongside Uruguay, France, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, which included a Call to Action to develop an ambitious treaty and reach an agreement by the end of 2024.

Ocean Plastics Charter and other initiatives

• Canada launched the Ocean Plastics Charter during its 2018 G7 Presidency. The Charter lays the groundwork to ensure plastics are designed for reuse and recycling by taking a more resource-efficient and lifecycle approach to plastics. Canada contributed $100 million to help developing countries address plastic waste and manage plastic resources, and works with global partners to advance policy and research on plastic pollution.

G7, G20 and other fora

• The G7 and G20 meetings have helped drive global efforts to address pollution, including plastic pollution. In particular, since Canada's 2018 G7 Presidency, efforts to end plastic pollution have remained high on the G7 agenda. In recent years, this has included key G7 commitments to end plastic pollution by 2040 and support progress towards an ambitious new international agreement on plastic pollution. Canada will be hosting the G7 in 2025.

• The G7 and G20 also enhance collaboration amongst the world's leading economies to improve resource efficiency and keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment.  The G7 and G20 also provide opportunities to address other sources of pollution, including air pollution, and to ensure sustainable chemicals management.