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A work in progress: Canada agreed to join the Kyoto Protocol process in December 1997; to meet its targets Ottawa promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions to six percent below 1990's level by 2012.

Article Excerpt
Canada has a plan--well, several plans really, though translating them into action is another story. In any event, here's the agenda:

* October 2000: Ottawa announces its "Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change." Half a billion dollars is pledged to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGs);

* November 2002: The federal government releases its "Climate Change Plan for Canada." This plan stressed that meeting the goal of cutting emissions by 240 megatonnes would be painless: "Personal disposable income would not be affected;"

* March 2004: The "One Tonne Challenge" is launched; by riding transit, buying smaller cars, composting, cutting home heating and cooling, and other strategies, Canadians are asked to slash their GHG emissions by one tonne, per person, per year;

* February 2005: The big one--in the federal budget Ottawa promises $5 billion in spending through to 2012 to reduce GHG emissions. Now, the target is to cut 270 megatonnes by 2012;

* March 2005: Ottawa and car manufacturers agree on a plan; by 2010, new vehicles will produce 5.3 megatonnes less in GHGs; and,

* April 2005: Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring Our Kyoto Commitment is released for public comment.

With all those plans, how are we doing so far?

We are now nearly eight years down the road since joining the Kyoto Protocol process. That's more than halfway, in time, towards the target date of 2012. Progress has been slow. Actually, it's been worse than slow: it's been backwards.

In 1990, Canada produced 596 megatonnes of greenhouse gases. Under the country's Kyoto pledge emissions should be down to 560 megatonnes by 2012 at the latest. In March 2005, Environment Canada released the emissions figures for 2003. Our vehicles, furnaces, factories, and mines belched out 740 megatonnes of greenhouse gases. That's a three percent increase (21 megatonnes) over 2002. And, 2002's emissions were 2.1% higher than 2001's.

Instead of getting closer to the target of six percent below 1990's levels, we are getting further away. In 2003, GHG emissions were 24 percent higher than the 1990 figure. There's little to suggest the 2004 and 2005 numbers will be much better when they're released.

To reach the Kyoto Protocol target Canada has two options--the carrot or the stick. People and businesses might be encouraged to adopt more energy-efficient ways through tax incentives and persuasion (the carrot). On the other hand, people and businesses that cling to energy-wasteful technologies might be punished through higher energy taxes (the stick). Ottawa has chosen the carrot, but many suspect it's holding a stick behind its back.

The stick has been ruled out because...

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