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A big step back
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For years, Canadians of all faiths and backgrounds have pushed for real action on climate change. People of faith were key to Canada’s decision to sign the Kyoto Protocol on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Now that progress is at grave risk of being rolled back, even as the impacts of the climate change already underway become more severe.
The Harper government is backtracking from its Kyoto obligations, and has now begun dismantling Canadian climate change programs, including the EnerGuide for Houses and the EnerGuide for Low Income Houses. Yet, Canada continues to chair the international climate change negotiations.
New talks on future action under the UN climate change process, including a second phase of the Kyoto Protocol, began May 15 in Bonn. The Climate Action Network and opposition parties have called on Environment Minister Ambrose to resign as chair of international Kyoto negotiations, saying it would be hypocritical to stay as chair of a process the government appears not to believe in and worse, seems determined to undermine. (See news releases: www.climateactionnetwork.ca and and Green Communities Canada at http://gca.ca_
Contrary to the Government’s claims that it is impossible for Canada to meet its Kyoto commitments, and that most other developed countries won't either, most developed countries are on track to meeting their Kyoto targets. According to the "demonstrable progress reports", the UK and Sweden have already met their targets. Finland and Greece will met their targets with additional measures, as will Denmark, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Spain and the EU (EU-15). All economies in transition countries have already met their targets.
What about large developing countries like China? Canada claims that China has no targets under the Protocol. In fact, under Article 10 of the Protocol China and all Parties agreed to put in place measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China has set a target of 20 % improvement over 2005 levels in energy efficiency/per unit of Gross Domestic Product by 2010. It has set efficiency standards for 16 classes of vehicles and a target of 15 percent of total capacity from renewable energy by 2020. Rather than complain about China, Canada should match the targets it has set.
Prime Minister Harper says: “Canada has targets that are now 35% higher than we can achieve.” But the Kyoto Protocol commitment period has not even started: it begins in 2008 and ends 2012. If Canada decided to make a real commitment to greenhouse gas reductions, Kyoto targets could be achieved. Instead, the government has now cut the very programs that were designed to close the gap and reach our Kyoto target of reducing emissions 6% below 1990 levels by 2012.
The current government must put in place a plan no later than this fall that closes the gap by requiring one of the biggest sources of emissions, oil and gas producers, to offset emissions from production. Canada also needs strong national renewable energy objectives and energy efficiency standards for buildings, equipment, appliances and cars, and tax incentives to drive the purchase of more efficient products. It's hard to say you absolutely cannot do something unless you try - and when there are still six years to comply!
The Government has repeatedly said it will replace Kyoto with a "made-in-Canada" approach that includes a proposal for a new Clean Air Act. But so far nothing has been announced that will significantly clean the air or reduce GHGs. The government has said it will deliver "real, tangible results with real benefits to Canadians”. In fact, the recently announced transit pass tax incentive was funded by taking $1 billion dollars from a Fund that was to deliver 100 mega tonnes of reductions, and instead put it into a tax cut that will at best estimate deliver about 30,000 tonnes at $2,000 per tonne. As for the recently-announced strategy on renewable fuels, which will set a 5% ethanol standard by 2010, estimates are that it will cut greenhouse gas emissions by less than 1 million tonnes. A real clean air strategy would:
- set a national target of 15,000 megawatts of green power by 2015,
- launch a “100,000 solar roofs” program
- set targets and incentives for installing green heat technologies, including solar thermal and geothermal and
- regulate efficiency in vehicles to the California standard.
Together, these kinds of initiatives could cut Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 million tonnes.
What can be done? Many churches have been writing to the Prime Minister, Environment Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and local MPs to express their concerns at the direction the government seems to be pursuing. The growing consensus is that along with the legal responsibility for keeping our Kyoto promises, there is a moral and ethical duty to the rest of the world community and to future generations to seriously address the onset of climate change - now. Join them.
Since the Kyoto Protocol commitment period actually begins in 2008 and ends 2012, Canada still has six years to comply with our Kyoto target (6% below 1990 by 2012). How will we know we can't unless we try? Opposition parties have passed a resolution that requires the government to put in place a plan no later than this fall that closes the gap.
What can be done? Churches have been writing to the Prime Minister, Environment Minister, Minister of Natural Resources and local MPs to express their concerns. A growing consensus says that along with the legal responsibility for keeping our Kyoto promises, there is a moral and ethical duty to the rest of the world community and to future generations to seriously address the onset of climate change - now. Join them.
You can find your MP and their contact info at http://canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.html#mp
You can send your comments to the Prime Minister by e-mail to
pm
or write the Prime Minister’s office at:
Rt. Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
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