Canada’s climate change plan lacks teeth

April 13, 2005 -

OTTAWA – Canada’s climate change plan lets big polluters off the hook and doesn’t send a strong message to industry that our economy must become cleaner and more efficient to compete in the global marketplace, says the David Suzuki Foundation.

 

“The plan is incomplete and it has some major flaws, but at least we now have a plan,” said Dale Marshall, the Suzuki Foundation’s Ottawa-based policy analyst. “The government now needs to urgently move on emission reductions and ‘learn by doing.’”

 

Released in Ottawa today, the federal government’s plan lacks detailed targets and timelines and offers no criteria to measure success or failure.

 

“Ottawa is not sending industry the message that Kyoto will be good for business,” said Mr. Marshall. “By bending over backwards to make targets for large polluting industries so low, the federal government puts a disproportionately large burden on Canadians. And industry still lacks the necessary push to modernize.”

 

The Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force in February, requires Canada to cut its emissions by six per cent by 2010. Canada’s industrial sector is responsible for close to 50 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, but the plan asks Canada’s large industrial sector to cut greenhouse gas emissions by just 36 megatonnes. And even then, there will be almost no net decrease in emissions from heavy industry because their emissions are already 29 megatonnes above what was originally expected.

 

Even though individual Canadians are only responsible for about 28 per cent of Canada’s emissions, they may end up being responsible for at least 74 per cent of emission reductions according to the current version of the plan.

 

“As it stands, instead of a one-tonne challenge, the federal government is now basically asking Canadians to shoulder a six-tonne burden,” said Mr. Marshall. “That’s obviously not fair. This plan needs some serious work if we to meet our Kyoto targets in an equitable manner that sets up our industries to be competitive in the 21st century.”

 

Mr. Marshall points out that meeting Canada’s Kyoto target is a huge opportunity to make Canada a cleaner, more efficient and more competitive nation.

 

“There are huge opportunities in the industrial sector to reduce emissions, create jobs and make money at the same time,” he said. “Canada needs to strengthen its plan take advantage of them.”

 

The Suzuki Foundation is calling on the federal government to strengthen the Kyoto plan by:

• Establishing targets and timelines for each of the programs in the plan so the federal government can judge whether implementation is successful
• Setting up a system of accountability and transparency: Canadians need to know what progress is being made on emissions reductions and whether we are on track to meet Kyoto or not. They also need to make sure that money is not being wasted anywhere
• Creating higher, regulated – not voluntary – targets for large industry

Read a joint statement on Canada's climate change plan from leading Canadian environmental organizations.

 

Read the Suzuki Foundation's analysis of the plan.

 

 

For more information, call:

Dale Marshall                                                  

Policy analyst, climate change program             

David Suzuki Foundation, Ottawa          

(819) 483-9890 or cell: (613) 302-9913

 

Morag Carter

Director, climate change program

David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver

(604) 732-4228 or cell: (778) 386-1448