John Baird

Remarks on Mr. John Baird, Minister of the Environment Canada
Speech to the International Negotiators in Bali

Mr. John Baird opened his speech with “I want to make it clear that Canada is determined to meet our commitments”. He started his speech by insulting the international community- knowing very well that “our commitments” are not the assumed Kyoto commitments. He continued with quite the slight of hand saying by 2020 we will meet a 20% emissions reduction from the current emissions but did not mention the base level 1990 emissions agreed to in Kyoto.

He also spoke with support for “common but differentiated responsibilities”. Normally, when countries speak of this it is to reflect the right to develop for developing countries and to address the issues of poverty at the same time as struggling to reduce their emissions and effect on climate change. It is certainly not to excuse developed countries who are trying to avoid their historic responsibility.

Canada’s speech was followed by Honorable Ms. Lavinia Bernadette Rounds Ganilau, Minister from Fiji who charged industrialized countries, like Canada, with the crime of climate change inaction. She insisted that those countries honorably take responsibility of their actions before small nation islands like FIJI are literally droned out by climate change.

Nowhere in Mr. Baird’s speech did he mention Canada, and all developed countries, historic responsibility of climate change. But he however did conclude with the hypocritical statement “Let us agree to put the greater good ahead of our individual needs”.

There are currently 47 small island sates completely vulnerable to climate change. If the world knew that 47 countries around the world were going to be completely obliterated but did not know which ones, then do you think Canada would take the Bali negotiations seriously.