After months of ORCIE’s dedicated efforts to arrange a meeting with Minister Guilbeault, the opportunity finally came on August 28, 2024. ORCIE, together with KAIROS and Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ), met with Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, and his senior advisor, Jennifer Lash. The zoom meeting aimed to encourage Canada to adopt more ambitious climate targets, explore the mutual benefits of closer collaboration, and establish ongoing relationships with the Minister and his team to advance shared goals of decarbonization and a just transition for workers.
This meeting follows from a November 2023 letter, spearheaded by ORCIE, and signed by 13 church leaders and faith organizations calling for an urgent meeting to dialogue on how Canada can strengthen its climate commitments. Representing ORCIE, Sue Wilson thanked the Minister for the work on recent climate regulations and called for deeper emissions reductions, a cap on oil and gas emissions, and increased international climate finance. CPJ’s Maryo Wahba highlighted the “Give It Up to the Earth” campaigns, while KAIROS’ Cheryl McNamara shared the success of Climate Action Weeks and the “100 Faithful Climate Conversations” initiative. These presentations emphasized faith communities’ strong desire to collaborate more closely on climate justice.
Minister Guilbeault was highly receptive, recognizing faith groups as valuable allies in the push for climate policy. However, he acknowledged the challenges posed by fossil fuel lobbyists and legal limitations on regulating natural resources. He outlined ongoing government efforts, including consultations on 2030 climate targets, new regulations on plastic production, and initiatives to empower Indigenous communities to lead climate adaptation projects. The meeting concluded with a request for an in-person gathering with church leaders. The Minister responded enthusiastically, stating, “It would fill me with joy. I’m sure we can make this happen!”—signaling continued dialogue and collaboration. A letter was sent to the office of Minister Guilbeault at the beginning of October, requesting an in-person meeting. ORCIE is eagerly awaiting a response, though it acknowledges that the Minister’s preparations for COP 29 in November may delay the scheduling. Meanwhile, ORCIE and its partners will continue to actively follow up on this matter.