Summary
Canadian climate change efforts - Includes related article on minimizing greenhouse gases - Cover Story
Canada appears to have suffered another failure in its efforts to promote climate change initiatives. The country's energy and environment ministers decided to carry out studies on the impact of minimizing greenhouse-gas emissions on the economy before supporting future environmental policies.See the full content of this document
Extract
Stopped cold.
Action by Canada on climate change been blocked by opposition both inside and outside government
Canadian climate change initiatives took a step backwards on April 24, 1998, when energy and environment ministers agreed to further study of the economic implications of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions before taking action.(1) This was only the most recent failure to implement an effective Canadian climate change policy. In 1997 the Canadian government, deeply divided, and lobbied on all sides, had already indicated its inability to provide leadership by being the last major nation to release its negotiating position for the December Kyoto climate conference. Canada's failure in recent years to provide credible leadership contrasts sharply with its status in 1988, when Canada was viewed as a leader in the fight against climate change. Sweden had assumed international environmental leadership in the 1970s; in the late 1980s, as one author noted, "it was Canada's turn."(2) By 1990, however, this initial enthusiasm had been tempered, and only a modest emissions stabilization policy had been adopted. By 1995 the Canadian government found itself unable to meet even its modest commitments. That year, our emissions in the year 2000 were projected to be far over 1990 levels, in spite of a 1992 commitment to stabilization. At Kyoto, however, Canada adopted an emissions reductions commitment, contrary to the desires of some domestic interests, but in keeping with international pressure. But as attention turns to implementation, these domestic interests are asserting themselves, delaying action on this commitment. Thus, since 1988, Canadian climate policy has evolved from declarations of leadership, to admissions of failure to meet even modest goals, to a commitment at Kyoto that may never be implemented. This evolution has had both international and do...See the full content of this document
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