UK Prime Minister visits Ottawa as Canadian outrage grows against Tar Sands

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Update: This was picked up by the Globe & Mail: See Keep Alberta oil off your hands, environmentalists warn British PM

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 22nd September – For immediate release

British Prime Minister David Cameron will visit Ottawa this week to address a joint session of Canadian Parliament [1], just days before hundreds of protesters descend on the capital to oppose the tar sands. As one of Harper’s ‘ideological allies’, Cameron has repeatedly demonstrated his government’s willingness to undermine European Union climate policy on behalf of the Harper government and its friends in the Alberta tar sands.

On the occasion of Cameron’s state visit, the UK Tar Sands Network is demanding the British Government stop defending Canada’s criminal record on climate change. “The UK is one of the few countries trying to stop the EU’s Fuel Quality Directive from specifically listing tar sands as more carbon-intensive than other fuels. A raft of information uncovered by Friends of the Earth Europe [2] and others have shown this position is being influenced by obscene lobbying from the Alberta and federal governments,” says Gemma Long of the network.

Just this week, Canada put more pressure on the EU by threatening to challenge the Fuel Quality Directive at the WTO [3] if it includes a specific value for tar sands crude. This follows reports earlier this year that Canada had threatened to pull out of free trade negotiations with the EU altogether [4], for the same reason. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that Canada and the EU are negotiating will contain investment protections designed to increase the role of British companies such as BP in tar sands extraction.

“All too recently we have seen the two governments using Canada-EU trade talks to discourage action on climate change, while prolonging investments in toxic fuels,” adds Long. “Now despite Britain having, on paper, a much better climate action program than Canada, we’re seeing this fall down before our eyes under a government keen to prioritise industry interest over climate policy.”

On September 26th 2011 Canadian citizens are planning a peaceful protest in Ottawa to say no to a toxic tar sands industry and defuse the largest carbon bomb in North America. [5]

ENDS

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Notes to editors

[1] Cameron will meet privately with Prime Minister Stephen Harper before making a speech to the House of Commons. See http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CanadaAM/20110922/british-prime-minister-david-cameron-ottawa-canada-visit-110922/

[2] Friends of the Earth Europe report available at https://www.no-tar-sands.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/FOEE_Report_Tar_Sands_Lobby_Final_July82011.pdf

[3] Reports of Canada threatening to challenge Brussels at the WTO available at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903374004576580822352255698.html

[4] More information about Canada’s threats to scrap CETA available at http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFWEB045820110221

[5] For more information on the tar sands protests in Ottawa, see www.ottawaaction.ca.