// ENERGY, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY: CLIMATE CHANGE
Canada’s G7 summit in Kananaskis: Lessons learned for advancing climate action
T he climate crisis is accelerating, with global temperatures breaking new records each year. The window to limit warming to the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement in 2015 is rapidly closing. The G7 summit, hosted by Canada in Kananaskis on 15–17 June, presents a critical opportunity to drive climate action and build momentum towards the negotiations of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Brazil this November. Canada should prioritise climate change for the Kananaskis Summit, aligning with the G7’s historical role in addressing global environmental challenges. The G7 first discussed climate change in 1979. At the 1985 Bonn Summit, Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and US president Ronald Reagan committed to cooperative climate action. However, despite decades of discussion, global greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased at the necessary rate, and investment in clean energy remains insufficient, particularly in developing countries.
With time running out to meet the Paris climate goals, lessons from Canada’s past G7 presidency set out a practical path for climate leadership Catherine McKenna, chair, UN Secretary General’s High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, with Isabelle Gilmore, G7 Research Group
BUILDING CONSENSUS ON CLIMATE PRIORITIES
Addressing climate change remains a significant challenge, especially with the United States led by Donald Trump. Not only does he deny climate change, but he also actively undermines multilateral efforts. When the US held the 2020 G7 presidency, climate change was not mentioned in the final communiqué, highlighting the difficulty of achieving consensus when one of the largest emitters resists meaningful action. The climate crisis is not going away. Canada’s experience during
108 // G7 CANADA: THE KANANASKIS SUMMIT 2025
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