Students across Canada are refusing to take a backseat as countries come together to decide the fate of climate change.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark starting next week, representatives of various nations will attempt to resolve issues pertaining to climate change.

Leonard Josephy is a delegate of UofTCOP15, a group of students from the University of Toronto, who will attend the conference. He noted the importance of student awareness.

“The purpose [of the delegation] was to send students to Copenhagen [and have them] report back to the university and the campus body,” Josephy said. “[We] are also meant to represent student interests.”

Another student group known as 5 for 5 has been organized by students from universities across Canada, asking individuals to call five friends and family members over five days.

“Ask the people you call to call their members of Parliament and tell their representatives that they want Canada to be a climate leader,” the event’s Facebook page, stated.

According to Jamie Biggar, one of the campaign organizers and a student at the University of Victoria, about 700 individuals have already signed up to call.

“It’s so painful to say this. Canada has been the most obstructionist country in the lead up to the talks. We have been doing anything we can to prevent a deal,” Biggar said.

“We consume, on an average, much more water and natural resources and produce, on an average, three times more carbon dioxide emissions per capita than the world average,” Holly Stover, EnviroWestern co-ordinator at Western, said.

While some students groups disagree with Canada’s stance on this issue, others believe the government is taking the right steps to ensure the well-being of the Canadian economy.

“Our support […] at this point in time […] is aligned with the conservative fathers in the federal party,” Daniel Ferris, vice-president finance and administration of the Tories Association at Western, said. “The basic premise of what I’m trying to say is we can’t commit to anything beyond the scope of our own economic capacity.”

“I think the government is representing strong corporate issues […], however that being said, we did vote our government in. The polls are saying we’re still supportive of the government,” Leonard noted.

According to Biggar, on the last day of the UN climate talks in Barcelona last month, Canada was named both “Fossil of the Day” and “Fossil of the Week” by the Climate Action Network International — a global coalition of over 450 leading non-government organizations who monitor progress at the UN talks.

“[The award was given for having] performed ‘best’ at blocking progress in the negotiations. Canada was named as the single worst country in the industrialized world,” the IndyMedia Climate website stated.

Irene Mathyssen, member of Parliament for London-Fanshawe, mentioned the UN secretary made it clear that Canada had not lived up to its international obligations.

While Alex Crombie, vice-president of Western Liberals believed Canada does not have the right goals in mind, he mentioned it is much easier for some countries to sign on to the treaty.

“Countries like China and the U.S. will be much easier to sign on to the Copenhagen treaty than Canada, because [they] do not have a high-tech oil refineries […] it’s going to be very expensive for us,” Crombie said.

For Josephy, the conference will hopefully provide a ray of light for individuals who have lost faith on the UN’s involvement in climate change.

However, Glen Pearson, member of Parliament for London North Centre, was apprehensive about this blind hope.

“My worry is if they have this […] conference and it falls through, or doesn’t even come close to what it’s supposed to, [then] it will create a huge disappointment in people and maybe make them feel like giving up,” Pearson said.

Regardless of the results of Copenhagen, most agree Canada must improve its international reputation.

“We used to be leaders in terms of rights and environmental protection. Now we’re the pariah of the of the international community,” Mathyssen said.

—With files from Abid Ladhani and Cheryl Stone