VANCOUVER — A report released today by the federal environment commissioner shows the government is letting Canadians down and ignoring the law, according to the David Suzuki Foundation. The report finds the federal government is lagging on climate change action and fish-habitat protection.
The report from Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Scott Vaughan concludes that the federal government's climate change approach is flouting the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act by failing to provide transparent and accountable data on our country's greenhouse gas emissions.
"This lack of transparency and accountability masks the fact that the federal government does not have a Canada-wide plan to achieve real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," says David Suzuki Foundation climate change specialist Ian Bruce. "For example, the federal government has yet to put in place regulations to reduce emissions for Canada's major polluters. The government promised these regulations more than two years ago."
The commissioner also found that fish habitat is not being adequately protected, in keeping with requirements outlined in the Fisheries Act. His report points out that many aspects of the Habitat Policy have yet to be adopted since it was implemented 23 years ago.
"Over the past few decades the Office of the Auditor General has clearly shown through audits that protection of fish habitat in Canada has taken a back seat to economic development," says David Suzuki Foundation salmon conservation biologist John Werring. "This latest audit shows that little has changed since the last audit in 2001, and that is truly disappointing."
According to Werring, the primary need right now is to for both DFO and Environment Canada to improve their monitoring, compliance and enforcement capabilities. To do this, they need political support.
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For further information:
Sutton Eaves, Communications Specialist, Marine and Freshwater
seaves@davidsuzuki.org
Kristen Ostling, Communications Specialist, Climate Change and Energy
kostling@davidsuzuki.org
