OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, November 21, 2002 (ENS) - Environment Minister David Anderson and Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal today released the government's latest Climate Change Plan for Canada. The plan outlines how Canada can meet the greenhouse gas reduction target it set for itself under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Canadian Environment Minister David Anderson (Photo courtesy Government of Canada)

It is the hottest issue in Canada today, with implementation of the treaty to limit greenhouse gases hanging in the balance. The Kyoto Protocol will not take effect until it is ratified by 55 percent of the nations responsible for at least 55 percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions for 1990, but to date only 37.5 percent of that total is covered.

The government plan contains measures to support action by individual Canadians, industrial emitters and governments. It is intended to provide a framework, and the ministers said it is still a work in progress and that the government intends to propose a further range of initiatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters president and CEO Perrin Beatty held Cabinet posts in Progressive Conservative governments from 1979 to 1993. (Photo courtesy ToryDraft)

The ministers said the plan is built on the best ideas to come out of 10 years of consultations and collaboration with provinces, territories, industry, environmental groups, other stakeholders and Canadians since Canada agreed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992.

No other country has consulted more with internal levels of government, industry and stakeholders than Canada, the ministers said.

"We have continued to work closely, with provincial and territorial governments, industry, labor and stakeholders since the release of the draft plan on October 24th and refined our plan accordingly," said Environment Minister David Anderson. "We are in substantial agreement on 9 of the 12 provincial and territorial principles. They are reflected in the Plan, and we are continuing our discussions with them on the issues that remain."

"Our Plan makes significant strides to address the specific concerns of the large industrial emitters. We will continue our productive dialogue with them on a number of issues, including risk exposure", said Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal. "Establishing a clear target that will not change and recognizing early action by industry will go a long way to providing the certainty that investors are seeking."

On behalf of industry, Beatty said the plan "acknowledges some of the concerns that have been raised by industry and by the provinces, but provides little more detail than the framework released last month."

"There is still no clear indication of how Ottawa will address the remaining 60 megaton shortfall. Nor is there a detailed outline of how much the incentives and programs will cost and where the funds will come from," said Beatty.

The latest version of the plan proposes five key instruments:

1. for large industrial emitters, covenants, with a regulatory or financial backstop, and emissions trading with access to domestic offsets and international permits
2. a Partnership Fund which will allow the Government of Canada to collaborate and leverage investments with provinces, territories and others on emission reduction initiatives
3. strategic investments in infrastructure projects
4. increased investments in innovation technologies for climate change
5. targeted measures, including information, incentives, regulations and tax measures

"The document says the plan 'must be a made-in-Canada approach that is based on collaboration, partnerships and respect for jurisdiction.' The acid test of whether the government means what it says is whether it will set aside its rush to ratify and give Canadians a chance to be heard first. It is far more important to get the plan right than to rush it through before Christmas," Beatty stated.

Today a group of provinces, local governments, industrial associations, one union, and environmental organizations in favor of ratification said their support depends on several factors. "Canada must take action at home," they said, "and the environmental, technological, and health benefits for Canadians must be maximized."

The provinces of Manitoba and Quebec, Greenpeace, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the David Suzuki Foundation, Forest Products Association of Canada, Manitoba Hydro, the Pembina Institute, and the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada said ratification would advance Canadian innovation, support competitiveness and provide incentives for low emission technologies.

The government should give credit for early action on emissions reducations, and the responsibility and economic opportunity should be equitably shared among all regions, workers, communities and economic sectors, they said.

That said, they "now want to focus the debate beyond ratification and build the best implementation program possible that will reduce emissions in Canada."

But Premier Ralph Klein who leads the oil and gas producing province of Alberta called the plan "inadequate" and "arrogant," in an address to the provincial legislature.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein (Photo courtesy Office of the Premier)

"But, time and time again," Premier Klein said, "Ottawa has said 'no.' Time and time again, Ottawa has said, 'We’ll tell you the way it’s going to be.'

"The federal plan gives no indication of what the true costs of the Kyoto pipedream will be to Canadians," Klein said.

The plan recognizes the importance of "made in Canada solutions based on collaboration, partnerships and respect for jurisdiction, and emphasizes that no region should bear an unreasonable burden," Ministers Anderson and Dhaliwal said.

But Klein said the provinces, not the federal government, are the real leaders in limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

"Here in Alberta, this government has introduced legislation that, when implemented, will result in significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. And I’m talking about real reductions."

The federal government, on the other hand," Premier Klein fumed, "is talking about sending possibly billions of dollars — hard-earned dollars earned in Canada — out of this country to buy emission credits abroad. The result will be the completely unnecessary transfer of Canadian wealth to other countries, with no reduction in the emissions that contribute to global warming."

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal (Photo courtesy Office of the Minister)

The plan contains measures to support and enable action by individual Canadians and challenges every Canadian to reduce their personal emissions. An average reduction of one metric ton per person is within reach and would eliminate emissions of 31 million metric tons.

Provinces and territories are taking action as well, and those reductions will make important contributions to our national greenhouse gas reduction goals.

"The Government of Canada will ensure that resources are adequate to achieve our goal and will do so in a fiscally prudent manner," the ministers said, "aligning existing programs in support of climate change objectives and phasing in new spending over several budgets."