Cory Morgan: What Does Guilbeault’s Uncharacteristic Position at COP27 Signal?

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault speaks at the COP27 U.N. climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Nov. 15, 2022. Peter Dejong/AP Photo

Commentary

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) came and went with less fanfare than these gatherings usually have. The annual gabfest provides the opportunity for activists, politicians, and celebrities to fly private jets across the world to gather in luxury hotels and chide people for their consumption of petrochemical products.

Usually, many nations set commitments to end or reduce fossil fuel use on long timelines that are rarely if ever met. This time, in a surprise move, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault resisted pressure to sign a commitment being pushed by India to completely phase out fossil fuels. Guilbeault wasn’t alone, and debate was heated among nations before the initiative ultimately failed to make the cut for COP27 commitments.

One must wonder, has pragmatism finally taken hold among nations attending these summits?

Has the world energy crisis added a much-needed sense of realism to countries when they consider making commitments to end the use of fossil fuels?

The language from Guilbeault as he defended Canada’s position on fossil fuel use was out of character for him. In an interview on the subject he said, “Constitutionally in Canada, the federal government doesn’t control the use of natural resources.” Guilbeault has long been known as an ideologically driven man, and he has a history of extreme actions while he was an environmental activist. He has never shown much consideration for provincial jurisdiction when it came to federal legislation before. Could it be that even Steven Guilbeault now realizes the push to shut down petrochemical development will cause more economic damage than it’s worth?

Inflation and the cost of living are top-of-mind issues among Canadians right now. In Europe, energy security dominates discussion as northern nations face a long, cold winter due to a spike in natural gas costs. European dependence upon Russian energy supplies while opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been diplomatically humiliating. A new understanding of the importance of fossil fuels is sinking in for the most strident environmentalists, even if grudgingly.

The COP27 participants pivoted toward a push to compensate developing nations for loss and damage incurred due to climate change and came up with an agreement. They had to come out of the meeting with something to show for it.

If the Canadian government is finally recognizing the importance of petrochemical products worldwide, perhaps that newfound pragmatism could be used to expand the production and exports of oil and gas products. As a supplier of some of the world’s cleanest and most ethically produced petrochemical products, Canada could make the case for increased production on both a humanitarian and environmental basis.

The world just hit a milestone as we reached an estimated population of 8 billion people. While modern farming practices and technological development have allowed the world’s population to grow that large without mass starvation, such growth will eventually become unsustainable if it continues at its current rate. Larger populations mean a bigger environmental impact in every way. Petrochemicals are key for fostering population growth and environmental management.

Developing nations are leading the world in population growth while prosperous nations are seeing fertility rates dropping. The reason for this trend is simple. Having small families is a luxury that can only be enjoyed in wealthy, stable countries. In developing nations, large families are essential, particularly in rural areas. Farming practices in developing nations aren’t as advanced and are labour intensive. A large family also ensures that parents and grandparents will be cared for in retirement.

Reliable, affordable energy is a key component for the advancement of any developing nation. While it makes for nice photo ops to fund solar and wind projects in developing countries, it doesn’t really help citizens improve their lot in life. They need modern farm equipment, streamlined supply chains, local tech ability, and competitive manufacturing facilities to bring about local prosperity. They need steady petrochemical and nuclear energy sources to do all that. Canada can provide both.

It is hard to envision Prime Minister Trudeau supporting the expansion of petrochemical development in Canada, considering how much political capital he has invested into fighting climate change. Who would have expected somebody like Steven Guilbeault to oppose an initiative to phase out fossil fuels, though? His orders had to come from above.

Canada demonstrated a reluctance to reduce petrochemical development at COP27. It’s not impossible to believe the government could be convinced to foster an expansion in the production and exports of energy products. The moral case to do so is there, along with the economic one. It may not be a bridge too far to convince the prime minister of this.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.