Participation by Videoconference of the Honourable Anthony Rota, M.P., Speaker of the House of Commons, to the 18th G7 Speakers’ Conference

 

On September 12, 2020, the Honourable Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons, participated via videoconference in the 18th G7 Speakers’ Conference in Washington, D.C.. He was supported by Charles Robert, Clerk of the House of Commons; Alexandre Mattard Michaud, Chief of Staff of the Speaker of the House of Commons; Jeremy Leblanc, Clerk Assistant and Director General of the International and Interparliamentary Affairs Directorate; Anthony Carricato, Director of Events at the Office of the Speaker; Colette Déry, Deputy Director of Communications at the Office of the Speaker; Ariane Calvert, Parliamentary Exchanges Officer; and David-Andrés Novoa, Secretary of the Delegation.

The day before the meeting, the Speaker met virtually with his U.S. counterpart, Nancy Pelosi. They began by reflecting on the events of September 11, 2001, and the many lives lost. They then discussed shared issues such as security, forest fires, climate change, trade and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme of the conference was “Addressing the Climate Crisis with Economic and Environmental Justice for All.” In their opening remarks, the speakers stressed the importance of working together to respond to global challenges such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis. Speaker Rota added that the fight against climate change must be carried out in an effective, fair and responsible manner.

The meeting continued with three panels. The first was entitled “No Time to Lose: The Imperative to Solve the Climate Crisis.” During this panel, His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered a message on the importance of common interests rather than individual ones. Afterward, Jane Goodall, of the Jane Goodall Institute; and Ernest Moniz, former U.S. secretary of energy, discussed the importance of fighting deforestation and promoting green technologies in order to lessen the impacts of climate change while ensuring economic growth.

The second panel was entitled “Answering the Imperative: Advancing Environmental, Racial and Economic Justice.” Panellists included Robert Bullard, Distinguished Professor, Texas Southern University; Kathy Castor, Chair of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis; and Gina McCarthy, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator. The panel reiterated that the fight against climate change also requires racial and economic justice.

The third panel, “Guaranteeing a Sustainable and Equitable Global COVID-19 Recovery,” began with a message from Bono, who stressed that democracy is paramount and warned against the rise of “fake news.” Afterward, Madeline Albright, former U.S. secretary of state; Jim Yong Kim, former president of the World Bank; and Rajiv Shah, former USAID administrator, discussed the panel’s theme. They concluded that the global community must not only stop COVID 19, but also ensure that all communities can fairly benefit from the recovery.

Additionally, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reminded delegates how far the international community is from achieving the 2015 Paris Agreement target of keeping the global temperature increase below 2°C. Based on current trends, it could rise by 4°C.

The meeting carried on with two working sessions between the speakers. The first was entitled “Working Together: Harnessing International Climate Cooperation to Address Racial and Economic Inequality.” During this session, Speaker Rota was asked to deliver a keynote address on the topic. He said that countries can facilitate consensus-building on climate change policy by further protecting human rights and improving access to information and resources.

The second session was entitled “Building Back Better: Tackling COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis to Build a More Just, Equal, and Prosperous Future.” The speakers mentioned that partnerships between parliaments were needed to address these challenges. Others stressed that international institutions were important, but that they needed to be reviewed after the crisis in order to improve them. Finally, most mentioned sustainable development and justice for all in order to overcome these challenges.

In their closing remarks, the speakers stressed that this meeting was an example of parliamentary co-operation and that it was important to stand up to the anti-science agenda, while remaining fully committed to democracy. Speaker Rota added that the meeting was an excellent opportunity for parliaments to join forces and strive for progress.

Lastly, it was announced that the United Kingdom would host the next meeting in 2021. In addition, a joint declaration was adopted by the speakers.

 

G7 Speakers Meeting Declaration: “Addressing the Climate Crisis with Economic and Environmental Justice for All” September 12, 2020

 

We, speakers/presidents of parliament of the member states of the G7, affirm that the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis require a robust and coordinated international response. By passing legislation, by approving national budgets and by holding governments to account, parliaments are a key element in the commitment of states to the well-being of our citizens and the environment. As leaders in the international community, we commit to act with urgency to provide a healthy, clean and sustainable environment for our children and grandchildren and generations to come.

The world is reeling from COVID-19. As of September 12, 2020, there have been more than 28 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the disease has claimed the lives of more than 900,000 people across the world. The pandemic has disrupted the regular life of our citizens, disproportionately hurt our most vulnerable communities and at-risk populations, including women and children, and destabilized our economies. We declare that our response to COVID-19, including vaccine development and its equitable distribution, will be based on science and medicine, focused on wide access rather than profitability, and informed by the knowledge that the pandemic will continue until it is addressed worldwide. As G7 nations, we have a moral, scientific and economic duty to serve as the standard-bearer for this global commitment.

Unfortunately, the climate crisis does not pause as governments address the pandemic. Our nations cannot choose to ignore the climate emergency while we address the immediate crisis presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the health and climate crises have and will continue to require unprecedented government action. As parliaments develop legislation to rebound from the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, clean energy and other climate investments can power short- and long-term economic recovery.

The climate crisis is the existential threat of our time, jeopardizing the health and well-being of every family in every community around the world. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in 2020 are among the highest averages ever recorded. The planet suffered through the second hottest year ever in 2019. As the Earth heats up, climate-related impacts, including heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and flooding, are worsening. The great rivers of our world are beginning to dry up, depriving millions of water, food, jobs, transportation and commerce. The degradation of the oceans is also a great matter of concern as we stated in Brest last year.

We shall also pay particular attention to environmental justice for economically vulnerable and front-line communities. Committing to fight against environmental injustice requires providing a healthy environment, equal opportunity and meaningful involvement in environmental decisions to all people, regardless of race, color, gender, orientation, national origin, belief, or socio-economic condition. Climate policy can end the perpetuation of systemic inequalities.

We reaffirm the central role played by parliaments in democratic life. Parliaments, which are the assemblies that bring together all the components of society, are the key institutions of democracy: parliaments represent the expression of the people through their legislative and oversight roles. We therefore call upon all parties to take action on the climate crisis in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

We pledge that we will maintain contacts between parliaments to ensure a high level of mobilization concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate, the regular raising of questions linked to these crises and the dissemination of good practices. We believe that our parliaments must play a pivotal role in the response and recovery to COVID-19 and the fight to address the climate crisis with economic and environmental justice for all.