Panel: Canada & COP21

High-level panel discusses why Canadians should care about COP21 OTTAWA, November 19, 2015—The Canadian Coalition on Climate Change & Development (C4D) and the Canadian Council for International Cooperation are organizing a public event, Paris en décembre? Why Canadians should care about the outcome of the Paris meeting on climate being held in Ottawa on November 19 to discuss global and Canadian perspectives on climate change in advance of the upcoming Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Climate Change Convention (COP21). The event will bring together representatives from political parties, civil society organizations, academia, and the diplomatic corps to discuss the challenges posed by climate change to the global and Canadian community. Debra Kerby, President and CEO of Canadian Feed The Children (CFTC, a C4D co-chair), and Julia Sanchez, President-CEO of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC), will be moderating the event. “CFTC is thrilled to facilitate these critical discussions which will help lay the groundwork for the Canadian perspective to be heard globally at COP21 this December,” said Debra Kerby. “As an organization committed to improving food security for the world’s most vulnerable populations, we see the impacts of climate change every day. We are committed to advancing the conversation on this issue of such concern to the development community and to Canadians.” Through panel discussions, the event will look at global, Canadian, and future perspectives on climate change policy, exploring what is at stake and what level of engagement is needed to address the challenges posed by climate change. Open to the public, the event seeks to engage interested Canadians in dialogue that will help inform Canadian policy and participation at COP21. “Now more than ever, we have the opportunity – as Canadians – to bring a strong, progressive and unified voice to the international table on the issue of climate change. Creating a venue to hear from a wide cross-section of experts will help to ensure alignment in our efforts and that we have a strong voice on these issues in Paris,” said Julia Sanchez. The event will feature remarks from distinguished speakers such as Elizabeth May, the Leader of the Green Party of Canada, The Honorable Nicolas Chauis, French Ambassador to Canada, Mr. Nebiat Getachew Assegid, the Minister Counsellor of the Ethiopian Embassy, and Aurore Fauret and Clayton Thomas-Muller of 350.org. “Climate change remains a significant threat to food security and environmental sustainability and it is our hope that this event will raise awareness of the importance of the upcoming COP21 talks,” said Sohel Khan, CFTC’s Senior Advisor, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability and co-chair of C4D. “Working cooperatively and taking action against climate change is a priority for all C4D members and this event is yet another example of that collective effort.” – 30 –   For more information, please contact: Jennifer Watson Vice President Communications Canadian Feed The Children jwatson@canadianfeedthechildren.ca Julia Sánchez President-CEO Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) jsanchez@ccic.ca