Climate Action Network wants results from federal environment meeting

For the first time in 10 years, provincial and territorial environment ministers from across Canada are meeting with federal officials on climate change.

New Brunswick's Brian Kenny and ministers from other regions of the country are meeting with Catherine McKenna, federal minister of environment and climate change, in Ottawa.

• Environment ministers face rising carbon emissions numbers
• Climate change plan slow-moving, government documents suggest

Louise Comeau, the executive director of Climate Action Network Canada, says there are three things she is hoping will come out of the meeting.

Comeau says the provinces have been working on their own for a long time.

"The federal government needs to stake its ground today and that means letting them know that they're likely to be pushed to go further than they planned," said Comeau, speaking to CBC News.

"Second, the Paris Agreement need to define what we do in Canada and how deep our reductions go. Third, I think they really need to frame the climate action program as a job creation program. I really see that as having enormous potential for our future," she said.

Focus on job creation

When asked what New Brunswick could bring to the table at the meetings, Comeau said she would like to see the province change its mind–set on climate change and focus on job creation.

"On climate change, we're not doing as well as we are supposed to. We're short by a million and a half tonnnes by 2020," said Comeau.

Comeau says New Brunswick's environment minister should tell his federal counterpart to sign a memorandum of understanding "on how you're going to help us close that gap to our targets and do more, and how we are going to create jobs in doing so."

Comeau says the province needs to ask about programs to help with climate change.

"What's our energy efficiency program? What's our renewable energy program? How are we going to get clean vehicles on the road? All of those things are opportunities for New Brunswick," said Comeau.