At a press briefing in Paris on Wednesday environment and climate change minister Catherine McKenna was asked to describe how Canada’s support of a new goal to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius squares with the government’s apparent support for the Energy East pipeline.
McKenna told a gathering of reporters that she prefers not to speak to individual projects.
“I don’t like just looking at one particular development. We are looking at how we are going to make progress towards a low carbon economy.”
McKenna added Canada is currently reviewing the National Energy Board environmental assessment process.
“The Energy East pipeline is a part of that,” she said, although pipeline opponents were disappointed last month when Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said reviews already in progress will continue on, rather than being restarted under a new and more robust regime.
McKenna added Canada is committed to doing its “fair share” alongside other nations to combat climate change.