Activities
The main focus of the group is to bring together, inform, and support Canadian Senators who want to find effective solutions to climate change. To this end, the group has launched various activities highlighted below:
Briefing Notes
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 13, 2023. There were over 85,000 delegates from 197 countries with 154 heads of state and government.
The briefing note described some of the key outcomes from COP28 and the commitments made by Canada during the conference.
Topics of other briefing notes include Budget 2023, COP27, COP15, reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Fall Economic Statement 2022.
Sessions with Expert Speakers
Information sessions are important opportunities for members of Senators for Climate Solutions to learn from experts and leaders in the field. This fall we hosted three sessions:
First, we were delighted to welcome the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Canada’s former Minister of Environment and Climate Change to a special in person session. As Chair of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, Ms. McKenna shared her thoughts about climate-aligned finance and what it will take to finance the transition to the net zero future in Canada and globally.
For our second event we were fortunate to have a virtual panel of climate adaptation experts lined up to speak with us. They were: Blair Feltmate, Head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo; Jimena Eyzaguirre, International Team Director, Climate Change Adaptation Lead, ESSA Environmental Consulting; and, Ryan Ness, Research Director, Adaptation, Canadian Climate Institute. They shared their expertise on the cost of climate change, trans-boundary risks, and mobilizing solutions.
Third, we had a Pre-COP28 Briefing Session with Michael Bonser, Canada’s new Chief Negotiator for Climate Change. Mr. Bonser spoke about Canada’s goals heading into COP28 and provided a description of the COP process.
Last February we hosted a virtual panel called Powering Canada's Future: What will it take to green and grow the grid? We hosted guest speakers Caroline Lee, the Mitigation Research Director at the Canadian Climate Institute, Sara Hastings-Simon, an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary, and Anthony Haines, CEO of Toronto Hydro. The panelists discussed barriers and opportunities related to the decarbonization of Canada's electricity grid, as well the role that parliamentarians and legislators can play in this process.
In May we hosted a session about climate solutions in the agricultural sector. We were delighted to welcome the following panelists to this enlightening session: Brent Preston, President and Andrew Rushmere, Program Director, Farmers for Climate Solutions, Scott Ross, Executive Director - Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and Professor David Burton, Director - Centre for Sustainable Soil Management, Dalhousie University. The session was moderated by our colleague and Senators for Climate Solutions member, Senator Rob Black.
This session was an important opportunity to learn about how farmers in Canada take action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The panelists described management practices that reduce emissions and build resiliency against climate change on agricultural lands; the research on the barriers that prevent adoption of climate solutions; and the various factors that need to be taken into account to ensure a successful transition to a net-zero future by the agriculture sector.
Other speakers that have presented to the group include: Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Canadian atmospheric scientist, professor of political science at Texas Tech University and author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources Minister Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Mark Carney, United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance.
X (Formerly known as Twitter)
Senators for Climate Solutions has an X account in English (@ClimateSenators) and French (@SenateursClimat). The aim of the X account is to keep members, other Senators, Members of Parliament, and the public informed of the group’s activities. Pertinent news on climate change and related issues are regularly shared.
Expanding the Agenda: Legislative Analysis and a Collaborative Network
Multiple inititatives are under development to broaden and deepen the group’s climate change agenda. Developing the capacity to apply a climate lens to all relevant legislation coming before the Senate is a top priority for the group. We are learning from the experience of our UK colleagues, Peers for the Planet, who have developed and utilized tools for analyzing legislation with a climate lens.
Senators for Climate Solutions plans to establish partnerships with other climate-focused legislators and their associations, research groups, civil society organizations, and business stakeholders among others. These collaborations will support Senators for Climate Solutions members as they work to contribute to meeting Canada’s climate commitments.
Official Launch
On Sept. 28th, 2022, we were able to officially launch our organization, Senators for Climate Solutions, at the Senate of Canada Building. Canada’s 28th Governor General David Johnston provided congratulatory remarks at the event, along with Senator Michèle Audette, and Senate Speaker pro-tempore Pierrette Ringuette. Members of Parliament visiting with a New Zealand Parliamentary Delegation were also in attendance. The Rt. Hon Baroness Hayman, co-founder and co-chair of Peers for the Planet, a similar UK group upon which Senators for Climate Solutions is modelled, also provided remarks at the launch in a pre-recorded video greeting to guests.
Other Activities
