Former Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy has underscored the fact that Canada did not send a ministerial representative to the Santa Marta conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Writing on Substack, he notes: “Canada was at Santa Marta, but conspicuously in a low-key role. Ottawa sent negotiators but no minister, despite being the largest oil and gas producer in the room, with the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia absent altogether.”
“At almost the same moment the conference opened, Canada’s energy minister approved the extension of a $10-billion pipeline project.
Read that choice alongside this one: Canada’s International Climate Finance Commitment, our $5.3-billion pledge to help developing countries face a crisis they did not cause drops from $846 million in 2025–26 to zero the following year.”
“These are not separate stories. They are one. The empty ministerial chair in Santa Marta, the pipeline approval in Ottawa, and the vanishing line in the Estimates reflect the same decision, taken three times.” See Llody Axworthy’s full post at https://substack.com/@lloydaxworthy