Ottawa unveils $10B Kyoto plan

[Spazito]

Last Updated Thu, 14 Apr 2005 04:31:04 EDT
CBC News
OTTAWA - The federal government unveiled an estimated $10-billion plan Wednesday to meet its Kyoto targets to cut greenhouse emissions by 2012.

"Canada will do its share for the planet because that is our responsibility," said Environment Minister Stéphane Dion.

The goal of the plan is to reduce Canada's greenhouse emissions by 270 megatonnes between 2008 and 2012. It's unclear how much of the total will be the result of actually cutting pollution and how much will be done by purchasing emission credits abroad.

A major part of the long-awaited plan involves the Climate Change Fund, a billion-dollar clean air pot of money that will let companies in Canada buy and sell emission credits, as well as buy credits from countries that have already met their targets.

more

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/13/kyoto050415.html

(It's a start, imo. It doesn't have everything I would want but at least it is a beginning.)

[Javaman]

1. It's a hell of a lot more than what the US is doing, that's for sure

[Lisa]

4. actually, a lot of state and local governments are taking action ...

Seattle and other US cities are going to get together at a major meeting this spring, to swap information and (some of the mayors hope) sign some kind of agreement. I think the goal is to get more than half the US population effectively into Kyoto compliance through their cities and counties.

http://www.iclei.org/us/ccp/

More than half the states have action plans (some of them go further than Canada's, actually, which a lot of us up here are pressing our federal and provincial governments to look at).

http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/ActionsState.html

My feeling is that Canada would be a lot further ahead if we had sub-national activity on global warming like in parts of the US. Ideally all levels of government would be clued in and working together, but I guess if I had to make a choice, a disinterested federal government and local jurisdictions that do, would be better than the other way around. Since many of these measures (e.g. planning/zoning, better public transportation, etc.) would have to be implemented at the local level to work in the long term, anyway.

My landlord works for the province of BC, and he is embarrassed that Washington, Oregon, and California have been making overtures on getting together to mitigate global warming (like the Maritime provinces and New England states did a couple of years ago) but his bosses in the neo-con BC government (influenced by Alberta-based lobbyists) are rebuffing them.

[Javaman]

5. Thanks for the info...

However, I find it amusing that state and local gov'ts have to take the lead in what the US gov't should be doing.

I wonder if a state can sign up for the Kyoto agreement without morons* approval. Now that would be interesting.

[Lisa]

6. Seattle's actually set reduction targets ...

http://www.ecolivingcenter.com/board/politics/messages/112.html


And at last year's international climate treaty meeting in Argentina, an unofficial US delegation made up of dissenting states showed up and opened negotations with the EU on joining their carbon-trading system (which started up earlier this year). I don't know what provision would be made for who gets the credits and/or points from them (say, if Germany decides to buy some forest carbon sequestration credits from Maine).

The official US federal delegation was standing there frowning and saying that Kyoto was doomed (and they and the Gulf oil producers were deliberately trying to derail the talks). Meanwhile, the New England states were ignoring them and making deals. (Apparently the breakaway states got a lot of international attention -- very favourable press in the UK, etc. -- which should help repair the US image, despite Bush's efforts to destroy your country's reputation.)

Things are going to be even more interesting at the first Kyoto conference of the parties, in Montreal this November. I would not be surprised if an even bigger unofficial US delegation arrives, with backup from supporters in the streets outside (in fact, I hope this happens because it would really annoy the White House!). One reason why I hope Canada gets moving, because there will be more states and cities who want to talk about this with us.

[Javaman]

7. Wow, that's pretty amazing...

sort of a quiet civil war brewing. Battles on paper and in the board rooms.

That is so hopeful to hear that these various states are taking matters into their own hands, when there is obviously no leadership direction from the white house, other than more of the same.

Thanks for the info :)

[landeaugriffin]

2. Good

This is how a Western nation should operate. I think it will be a long time before we follow this example though.

[newyawker99]

3. Hi landeaugriffin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: