Latest news with #KananaskisWildfireCharter
Winnipeg Free Press
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Wildfires: climate change cause and effect
Opinion Do we believe what we see or see what we believe? This question is at the heart of humanity's willingness to act on climate change. In the wake of record wildfire damage in Canada in 2023, the hottest year on record for the Earth in 2024, and scientists warning we will breach any chance of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2027, it is fair to wonder. Do our world leaders believe in more climate change action? The G7 summit just concluded in Kananaskis suggests not. The term 'climate change' did not appear once in any of their communiques, a sharp departure from past summits but perhaps a sign of the times. Times preoccupied with urgent global economic and military conflicts and a U.S. Trump administration that has banned the term. Wildland fires like this one near Pimicikamak Cree Nation earlier this year, aren't only increasing as a result of climate change. They add to it as well. But if 'seeing is believing', then the G7 did see something alarming about our changing climate: wildfires. They issued the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, stating: 'These increasingly extreme wildfires are endangering lives, affecting human health, destroying homes and ecosystems, and costing governments and taxpayers billions of dollars each year.' Wildfires are Canada's most public of dirty climate secrets. When we think of our biggest greenhouse gas (GHG) polluters, we tend to focus on the oil and gas sector. Think again. Canada's record wildfires in 2023 burned more than 16 million hectares of land, an area as large as 30 Winnipegs put together. It generated an estimated 647 megatonnes of carbon according to the authoritative scientific journal Nature. That is almost as much as all of Canada emitted the year before (709 megatonnes), and three times as much as the oil and gas sector itself. Trees and forests are natural carbon sinks. They absorb carbon dioxide when they are alive and healthy. But they release CO2 when they burn. Hot and dry weather caused by a changing climate is causing earlier starts to the fire season. It is making our forests more combustible when fires start. Forest fires become larger in area and of longer duration with more carbon emissions released. But Canada, like most countries, does not count most carbon emissions from wildfires in its GHG inventory. This is for two reasons. First, because the United Nations' climate rules focus on what's called 'anthropogenic' or human-caused emissions and second, it is hard to distinguish between carbon released from planned or managed land use changes such as timber practices and urban sprawl, versus unplanned wildfires. The atmosphere begs to differ. It doesn't care about carbon rules or even sources. It cares about carbon accumulation. Climate impacts today are caused from yesterday's carbon emissions, not tomorrow's. And it's caused by everyone's emissions, not just ours. Canada is more exposed to this vicious circle than any other country, due to our northern latitude and higher rates of warming being experienced. There's a reason we are on track for our second-worst wildfire season ever with 3.9 million hectares already burning and over 120 fires officially 'out of control', according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. What's the solution? Sadly, nothing easy, fast, or cheap. The federal government is spending $3.2 billion to plant two billion new trees over the next ten years. So far, 160 million trees have been planted. When finished, though, it would absorb only about 12 megatonnes of carbon per year in 2050. Not nearly enough or soon enough. Could those or other 'climate dollars' be more usefully invested elsewhere? Just as the G7 signalled combatting wildfires is now a global concern, Canada's governments need to make it a truly national priority. If you want to reduce our carbon footprint then focus on the emissions doing the most damage. That means investing more, now, in expanding our firefighting capacity. Canada has an aging water bomber fleet with insufficient planes. Trained wildfire fighters are lacking, particularly Type 1 firefighters, the first responders. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. Improvements are in the works. PEI is doubling its complement of trained wildfire fighters which, when deployed elsewhere as they were last month, helps in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. More water bombers are on order for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. But these will not be ready for several more fire seasons at least. If we are in the midst of a growing wildfire trend, as the past three years attest, then expect more damage and more carbon pollution in the meantime. Canada has been embroiled in a debate about the cost of reducing carbon emissions from industry, vehicles, and consumers. There's another cost. The cost of climate change impacts on people and communities (185,000 displaced last year) ravaged by more wildfires. Insurance costs from last year's fires were more than $1.2 billion, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. That's the choice. Pay now or pay later. Tackling wildfires is a 'two-fer'. It protects lives and livelihoods. And it helps keep carbon in the ground, not emit it into the atmosphere. It's a way for Canadas to reduce its global carbon footprint in a more meaningful way than one more taxpayer-funded boutique programs spooled out to garner positive headlines about 'acting on climate'. Raging wildfires across Canada are the clearest case yet of 'see it, believe it' that climate change is real and expensive. David McLaughlin is a former clerk of the executive council and cabinet secretary in the Manitoba government.
National Observer
3 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
G7 leaders agree to 'charter' on wildfires and pledge global co-operation
Leaders of the G7 have agreed to co-operate on efforts to manage the impacts of devastating wildfires, which are surging for another summer across Canada. The leaders are calling it the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and it's believed to be a groundbreaking commitment for G7 leaders. It's a timely statement, as Canada continues to face another destructive wildfire season that has forced thousands from their homes. In Manitoba earlier this week, some of the province's 21,000 evacuees were given the green light to return home. "These increasingly extreme wildfires are endangering lives, affecting human health, destroying homes and ecosystems, and costing governments and taxpayers billions of dollars each year," the leaders wrote in a joint statement. Wildfires have been mentioned in past G7 communiqués, but in far less detail. At last year's summit, leaders agreed in a one-sentence commitment to prevent and manage the negative impacts of wildfires. In 2023, wildfires were not mentioned, but leaders reaffirmed previous commitments to reversing deforestation by 2030 — a pledge included in the charter. The charter, published on the final day of the summit Tuesday, lays out steps all G7 countries and five non-member countries will take to prevent fires, collaborate on research and improve community rebuilding efforts. The countries say they will reduce the risk of extreme fires through sustainable forest management and Indigenous land management techniques, such as controlled burning. A pledge to mitigate and respond to the impact of fires on human health is included — an apparent reference to volumes of wildfire smoke that have travelled oceans and crossed borders in recent summers. They also committed to collecting and sharing data and finding better ways to provide timely access to basic firefighting equipment. "This is a really good step forward in international wildfire co-operation," said Ilya Goheen with the University of Toronto's G7 Research Group. He said it's likely the first wildfire charter to ever come from G7 leaders. However, the charter doesn't mention climate change, which scientists say is partly responsible for the more frequent and intense fires seen in recent years. Goheen said leaders may have avoided the phrase to placate US President Donald Trump, who has taken specific aim at dismantling federal policies aimed at addressing climate change. One Canadian climate advocacy organization took notice of its absence. Caroline Brouillette, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, said the country catered to the "lowest common denominator" to appease the US president and failed the test of its climate leadership. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in his closing news conference, mentioned climate change as he listed numerous challenges facing the world. He said recovering from wildfires is something felt "intensely here in the Prairies." The charter comes as Canada battles yet another devastating wildfire season and almost one year after flames ripped through Jasper, a town 250 kilometres north of the G7 summit site in Kananaskis. Carney laid the groundwork for wildfires to feature in G7 discussions, formally highlighting the issue as a priority for the gathering. In separate bilateral meetings in Calgary on Sunday, he thanked the leaders of Australia and South Africa for their firefighting support. The charter was signed by non-G7 leaders from Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa, all invited to the summit by Carney. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
G7 leaders agree to ‘charter' on wildfires, pledging global co-operation
Work continues to assess, repair and rebuild as some residents return to Jasper, Alta., on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken BANFF — Leaders of the G7 have agreed to co-operate on efforts to manage the impacts of devastating wildfires, which are surging for another summer across Canada. The leaders are calling it the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and it's believed to be a groundbreaking commitment for G7 leaders. It's a timely statement, as Canada continues to face another destructive wildfire season that has forced thousands from their homes. In Manitoba earlier this week, some of the province's 21,000 evacuees were given the green light to return home. 'These increasingly extreme wildfires are endangering lives, affecting human health, destroying homes and ecosystems, and costing governments and taxpayers billions of dollars each year,' the leaders wrote in a joint statement. Wildfires have been mentioned in past G7 communiqués, but in far less detail. At last year's summit, leaders agreed in a one-sentence commitment to prevent and manage the negative impacts of wildfires. In 2023, wildfires were not mentioned, but leaders reaffirmed previous commitments to reversing deforestation by 2030 — a pledge included in the charter. The charter, published on the final day of the summit Tuesday, lays out steps all G7 countries and five non-member countries will take to prevent fires, collaborate on research and improve community rebuilding efforts. The countries say they will reduce the risk of extreme fires through sustainable forest management and Indigenous land management techniques, such as controlled burning. A pledge to mitigate and respond to the impact of fires on human health is included — an apparent reference to volumes of wildfire smoke that have travelled oceans and crossed borders in recent summers. They also committed to collecting and sharing data and finding better ways to provide timely access to basic firefighting equipment. 'This is a really good step forward in international wildfire co-operation,' said Ilya Goheen with the University of Toronto's G7 Research Group. He said it's likely the first wildfire charter to ever come from G7 leaders. However, the charter doesn't mention climate change, which scientists say is partly responsible for the more frequent and intense fires seen in recent years. Goheen said leaders may have avoided the phrase to placate U.S. President Donald Trump, who has taken specific aim at dismantling federal policies aimed at addressing climate change. One Canadian climate advocacy organization took notice of its absence. Caroline Brouillette, executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, said the country catered to the 'lowest common denominator' to appease the U.S. president and failed the test of its climate leadership. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in his closing news conference, mentioned climate change as he listed numerous challenges facing the world. He said recovering from wildfires is something felt 'intensely here in the Prairies.' The charter comes as Canada battles yet another devastating wildfire season and almost one year after flames ripped through Jasper, a town 250 kilometres north of the G7 summit site in Kananaskis. Carney laid the groundwork for wildfires to feature in G7 discussions, formally highlighting the issue as a priority for the gathering. In separate bilateral meetings in Calgary on Sunday, he thanked the leaders of Australia and South Africa for their firefighting support. The charter was signed by non-G7 leaders from Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa, all invited to the summit by Carney. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
G7 leaders agree to ‘charter' on wildfires, pledging global co-operation
BANFF - Leaders of the G7 have agreed to co-operate on efforts to manage the impacts of devastating wildfires, which are surging for another summer across Canada. The leaders are calling it the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter — and it's believed to be a groundbreaking commitment for G7 leaders.
National Observer
4 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
In 'serious omission,' G7 leaders release wildfire charter with no mention of climate change
G7 leaders released a joint statement on Tuesday about wildfires that did not include any reference to climate change. Climate change — fuelled primarily by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas — is driving warmer and drier conditions and increasing the likelihood of more frequent and severe wildfires. The Kananaskis Wildfire Charter is 536 words long. None of them are "climate change." 'They're missing the whole point in that we're seeing more fires, a longer fire season, more intense fires, more severe fires, because the climate is changing due to human activities,' said fire and climate professor Mike Flannigan of Thompson Rivers University. 'It's a serious omission, and that's being very polite.' The charter published talks about everything related to wildfire but climate change: firefighting equipment, data collection, information sharing, restoring ecosystems, building resilient infrastructure, to name a few. 'It's saying many of the right things,' Flannigan says — aside from the glaring omission — but he notes that even the actions laid out in the agreement are light on detail. 'How are they going to do it? Easier said than done. It's going to cost money.' 'We're seeing more fires, a longer fire season, more intense fires, more severe fires, because the climate is changing due to human activities ... that's a serious omission, and that's being very polite," said fire expert Mike Flannigan. The discussions that led to the statement's specific wording were not public. But governments of most G7 nations recognize the role of human activity in climate change, as well as the role of climate change in wildfire, with one notable exception. Since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, climate change has been scrubbed from government websites; grants for research on climate have been cut; the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Energy and many others have had their climate capacity slashed, among other devastating anti-climate moves. 'For [G7 leaders] to avoid it — probably for political reasons; I don't know that for sure, but that's a guess — it's a serious shortfall,' Flannigan said. 'This was a wasted opportunity as Canada ducked away from a confrontation with Trump,' said Keith Stewart, senior energy strategist with Greenpeace Canada. 'Canada is literally a country on fire.' The Canadian environmental group the Climate Action Network lambasted the charter in a statement within hours of its release. 'What's the point of a coalition of like-minded countries if it isn't even capable of mentioning the existential crisis facing humanity?" wrote Caroline Brouillette, the Climate Action Network's executive director. Canada is experiencing what may be its second-worst fire season on record, and the frequency of bad years has been increasing due to climate change. 'You can talk all you want about fire guards and resilient communities. But at the end of the day, if you're in a flammable landscape and things are extreme enough, fuel is fuel is fuel — it will burn,' Flannigan said. Trump received record donations from the oil industry during his election campaign. In his current bill working its way through congress is a billion-dollar tax break for the oil and gas industry. Last year, with Joe Biden as US president, the G7 summit ended with a communiqué that specifically mentioned climate change among the priorities countries agreed to focus efforts on. Not so this year. 'It's sad but not surprising,' Bloc Québécois MP Patrick Bonin said in an interview with Canada's National Observer. Another Bloc MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval echoed Bonin, saying the joint statement is consistent with the federal government acting 'as if climate change did not exist anymore' and is very worrying. NDP MP Leah Gazan agreed the failure to reference climate change is 'highly problematic' and given the global impact of extreme weather events this issue should be front and centre. 'We were expecting that the quick departure of Mr. Trump will bring the other countries, including Canada, to show more leadership and to talk about climate change and to come up with some statement and commitment in order to recognize that they need to do more and that they commit to do more,' Bonin said. Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs declined to comment because she had not read the statement, saying, 'I couldn't speak for the thought process of the people who put the document together.' Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada Julie Dabrusin was not immediately available to comment; this story will be updated with comment if it becomes available. Talking about wildfires without talking about how climate change is making wildfires more frequent and intense is 'just like putting their head in the sand,' Bonin said. 'We need to have a real discussion about the root cause of what we're seeing,' he said. While Canada burns, the prime minister is 'just ignoring the smoke,' he added.
