I still remember the slick flyer from the 2021 election – Justin Trudeau’s Liberals promising a “climate leadership” approach that would finally position Canada as a global environmental champion. They’d appointed a Climate Ambassador to elevate our international presence. Four years later, I’m standing in the crowded media center at the COP30 summit in BelĂ©m, Brazil, searching for our climate envoy among the delegation, only to discover Canada has arrived without one.
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, leads Canada’s delegation this year. While Dabrusin brings undeniable passion to her role, the absence of Canada’s dedicated Climate Ambassador at this crucial summit has raised eyebrows among environmental organizations and policy experts alike.
“Having our Climate Ambassador missing from the most important international climate negotiations of the year sends concerning signals about Canada’s priorities,” explains Catherine Abreu, Executive Director of Destination Zero, who’s attended eleven previous COP summits. “When countries like Denmark and the UK send their highest-level climate representatives, their voices carry more weight in closed-door negotiations.”
The position of Canada’s Climate Ambassador has been vacant since September, when the previous appointee completed her term. Environment and Climate Change Canada confirmed the government is “in the process of selecting a new ambassador” but couldn’t provide a timeline for the appointment.
This leadership gap comes at a particularly sensitive moment. COP30 focuses on implementing the financial commitments made in previous agreements – specifically, how wealthy nations will support developing countries bearing the brunt of climate impacts they did little to create.
When I visited the Canadian Pavilion yesterday morning, the atmosphere was noticeably subdued compared to previous years. Several civil society representatives expressed frustration about Canada’s diminished presence, especially as negotiations intensify around climate finance mechanisms.
“This is about more than symbolism,” notes Dr. Gordon McBean, former Assistant Deputy Minister at Environment Canada and climate science professor at Western University. “Climate ambassadors build relationships year-round that become crucial during tense negotiation moments. They carry institutional knowledge and can navigate the complex politics of these summits in ways that rotating parliamentary secretaries simply cannot, regardless of their competence.”
The absence also reflects a concerning pattern. Statistics Canada data shows that while 83% of Canadians consider climate change a serious threat, federal climate spending has seen proportional decreases since 2021. The Parliamentary Budget Office recently reported that Canada’s emission reduction targets remain significantly off track for meeting our Paris Agreement commitments.
When I asked about the ambassador vacancy during yesterday’s Canadian delegation briefing, Dabrusin emphasized that Canada remains “fully committed to climate leadership” despite the temporary gap. “Our technical team is fully engaged in all negotiation streams, and Minister Guilbeault will join us next week for the high-level segment,” she noted.
However, former diplomats suggest the vacancy reflects deeper political calculations. “Appointing a high-profile climate ambassador just before an election would be unusual,” explains Elizabeth May, former Green Party leader and longtime climate policy expert. “The position would likely change again post-election, creating unnecessary transition costs and confusion among international partners.”
What makes the absence particularly striking is the contrast with Canada’s approach to other diplomatic appointments. In the past year alone, the federal government has appointed special envoys for Indo-Pacific trade, preservation of Holocaust remembrance, and combating antisemitism – all important roles, but highlighting questions about prioritization.
The ambassador vacancy also surfaces during heightened domestic tensions around climate policy. The federal carbon pricing system faces growing resistance in several provinces, while recent Statistics Canada employment data shows over 40,000 oil and gas workers have transitioned to other sectors since 2019 – many without adequate support programs.
Dr. Deborah McGregor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice at York University, connects these dots: “International representation matters because it shapes domestic policy implementation. When Canada steps back from visible leadership at venues like COP, it weakens political will for difficult transitions at home.”
Walking through the Brazil-hosted pavilions yesterday afternoon, I noticed representatives from countries experiencing climate disasters firsthand – Pacific Island nations facing rising seas, African countries battling unprecedented droughts – engaged in intense discussions with major economies. These conversations happen formally in negotiation rooms but also informally in hallways and social events – precisely the spaces where ambassadors build crucial relationships.
When Canada established the Climate Ambassador role, it signaled our intention to engage more deeply in these spaces. The current vacancy creates relationship gaps that extend beyond this single summit.
As BelĂ©m’s sweltering heat reminds delegates daily of our warming planet, Canada’s delegation works diligently despite their leadership gap. But in the high-stakes world of international climate diplomacy, presence matters. And right now, Canada’s specialized climate voice is noticeably silent at precisely the moment it should be loudest.
