Premier Darrell Pasloski applauded the sense of unity that came from Monday’s first ministers meeting in Ottawa.

“There hasn’t been been a first ministers meeting in almost seven years,” Pasloski said in an interview Tuesday afternoon, while on his way back to the territory.

“It’s been a long time.”

Former prime minister Stephen Harper was often criticized for a lack of intergovernmental relations with the provinces and territories. He would only meet them individually, as opposed to in a conference setting.

“Having that re-engagement with the prime minister was good,” Pasloski said.

“We get together as premiers, but there’s a lot of issues that we need the federal government to partner with.”

The discussion between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the leaders of the provinces and territories was primarily centred on a commitment to maintaining a constructive relationship.

By having the four-hour working dinner, the group was able to come up with a common message to take to the climate change summit in Paris – and that message was a good one, according to Pasloski.

“We can have diverse climate change policies across the country and still reach our goal,” Pasloski said.

Part of the discussion involved the global perception of Canada as a climate change contributor.

Canada has the third-highest oil reserves in the world, Pasloski said, adding that people don’t realize that Canada is a superpower in renewable energy as well.

“We need to do a better job of branding, or re-branding, where Canada is,” he said.

The Yukon premier was also given a chance to tell a larger audience what effect climate change is having on the territory.

At a press conference after the meeting, Pasloski told the Star, he talked about adaptation in the territory due to global warming.

“I used the Ross River School as an example. We had to close a school down because of unstable permafrost,” he recalled.

“Not only are we living (climate change) but we are paying for it today ... Canada is only contributing two per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.”

The United Nations-sponsored summit will run from next Monday to Dec. 11.

The Yukon delegates to Paris will include Pasloski, the opposition party leaders, Grand Chief Ruth Massie of the Council of Yukon First Nations, a youth ambassador and other government staff.

Part of the COP21 process includes countries putting forward targets for emission cuts.

A campaign promise of Trudeau’s is to hold another first ministers’ conference within 90 days of the Paris summit – in hopes of working out a national strategy for climate change.