PANAMA CITY – Stephen Harper says Canada will unveil its targets for greenhouse gas emissions before the G7 meetings in June.
Harper’s remarks Saturday came after his government missed the March 31 target date for countries to submit emissions reduction pledges ahead of December’s United Nations climate summit in Paris.
Speaking to reporters in Panama where he attended a hemispheric summit, the prime minister said Ottawa wanted to give the provinces a chance to have their own conference to discuss their emission targets.
The provinces are to meet in Quebec City on Tuesday.
Harper said the federal government would like to see the outcome of provincial talks before it releases its targets.
“Obviously we will be moving forward with our partners, not just in announcing targets but, as we’ve done in the past, continuing to support international climate-change financing,” Harper said in Panama City, where he participated in the Summit of the Americas.
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Harper said Canada will continue to support international climate-change financing.
The prime minister also discussed climate change Saturday with Barack Obama, but he said the U.S. president did not ask him for a commitment on emissions.
“I think he knows, as everyone knows, that the government of Canada will, like all governments, announce its commitments, its particular targets prior to the Paris summit,” Harper said.
The U.S. recently made a formal pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 28 per cent over the next decade.
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