Foundation presence to help hold governments, industry accountable for perpetuating crisis

MONTREAL | TRADITIONAL, UNCEDED TERRITORY OF THE KANIEN’KEHÁ:KA FIRST NATION — With the UN climate conference of the parties (COP27) set for November 6 to 18 in Egypt, the David Suzuki Foundation will have climate experts both on-site and monitoring from Canada, and will be available for comment from both locations on the day’s top climate stories.

The Foundation will consider COP27 a success if:

  • There is an agreement to stop fossil fuel industry expansion;
  • Canada commits to a cap on oil and gas emissions with a strong price on carbon pollution attached;
  • Canada follows the lead of the UN secretary general’s call for a windfall tax on oil and gas industry profits;
  • Canada supports community resilience in adapting to climate change (loss and damage), and Indigenous/civil society voices shape outcomes.

David Suzuki Foundation spokespeople for COP27 (note: all spokespeople can deliver interviews in English and French):

In Egypt:

  • Charles Bonhomme, manager, public affairs and communications: energy, transport, climate change and impacts, fossil fuel phaseout
  • Albert Lalonde, project manager, Climate Conscience Lab – youth climate activism voice and mobilization, La Rose v. Her Majesty the Queen climate litigant voice

In Canada:

  • Sabaa Khan, director general, Quebec and Atlantic Canada/climate director: climate litigation, international finance, cap on emissions, windfall tax on oil and gas industry, international climate change law and related areas of international law (human rights and trade)
  • Severn Cullis-Suzuki, executive director: experience with international UN climate conferences, youth mobilization, Indigenous representation
  • Tom Green, senior climate policy adviser: renewables, clean electricity, oil and gas, methane regulations and zero-emission vehicles

Quotes:

“It’s imperative that independent science-based organizations like ours hold governments and fossil fuel companies accountable at these international meetings. The increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups worldwide will only continue intensifying unless we transition off fossil fuels and live in a way that’s compatible with planetary limits,” said Sabaa Khan, director general, Quebec and Atlantic Canada at the David Suzuki Foundation. “The climate crisis places a disproportionate burden on developing countries, Indigenous communities and less affluent populations. International finance for loss and damage from climate catastrophes in developing nations will be front and centre at this conference, and Canada must step up with its fair share commitment of $4 billion in yearly climate finance.”

“COP27 cannot be another missed opportunity for Canada to show its commitment to concrete climate action. In addition to upping our climate ambition, Canada must take steps toward a clean economy transition that leaves no one behind,” said Severn Cullis-Suzuki, executive director at the David Suzuki Foundation. “At COP27, we’ll push government and industry to be more ambitious, meet their commitments and actually report on progress. We’ll highlight the front lines of climate action to counter the false oil-and-gas lobby narratives. The climate crisis is here and now. Fossil fuel supremacy is hurting people everywhere on Earth.”

– 30 –

For more information or a media interview, please contact:

Charles Bonhomme: cbonhomme@davidsuzuki.org, (438) 883-8348 (in Egypt)

Back up (FR): Cyrielle Maison, cmaison@davidsuzuki.org, (514) 444-8119 (in Quebec)

Brendan Glauser: bglauser@davidsuzuki.org, (604) 356-8829 (in Vancouver)

Back up (EN): Stefanie Carmichael, scarmichael@davidsuzuki.org, 437-221-4692 (in Ontario)