UPDATE 1-Canada to tell world it's serious about climate change, says PM

(Releads with end of national strategy meeting)
By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Canada will tell a green summit
next week that it is finally ready to tackle climate change,
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday after a meeting
with the country's provinces to work out a national strategy.
Trudeau's Liberals won an election last month promising
radical change on the environment from the previous Conservative
administration, which was widely criticized for not doing enough
to combat global warming during its near decade in power.
Trudeau, who will attend a United Nations environmental
summit in Paris next week, says Canada must curb its emissions
of greenhouse gases.
"In Paris a united Canada will demonstrate that we are
serious about climate change," Trudeau told a late-night news
conference after meeting with premiers of the 10 provinces and
three territories.
Alberta, home to most of Canada's oil sands, said on Sunday
in a ground-breaking move that it would implement an
economy-wide tax on carbon emissions in 2017.
Trudeau and the provinces hope their united approach and
Alberta's move will help dispel some of the international
suspicion about Canada and climate change.
At previous U.N. summits the Conservative government
sometimes found itself openly at odds with activist groups and
even some provinces. Those days were over, said Trudeau.
"We need to show a renewed image of Canada to the world,"
said Quebec premier Philippe Couillard.
Some premiers are nervous about the idea. Brad Wall of
Saskatchewan says Canada must find a balance between the
environment and protecting employment.
Low crude prices have triggered major job losses among
energy industry workers.
"As we prepare for Paris and to present a constructive and
national front to the world, we just need to be mindful of that
fact," he told the closing news conference.
Although the Conservatives had pledged to cut greenhouse gas
emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, government
figures show rising emissions mean the goal is out of reach.
Trudeau will not be going to Paris with a new target, but
has committed to coming up with a goal with the provinces within
90 days of returning from the talks.
Two government scientists told the strategy meeting that
Canada's rate of warming was about twice the global rate.
This means hotter summers with more forest fires, melting
permafrost and a smaller Arctic ice cover that will force polar
bears onto land as they search for food, they said.