The CBC reports that, “Canada will be following U.S. President Barack Obama’s lead at next week’s Copenhagen climate summit, aligning its policy for cutting greenhouse gas emissions with that of the United States, the federal environment minister says.”
“In a speech to a business audience in Montreal on Friday, Jim Prentice said… ‘Given the integration of our two economies it is essential our targets remain in line — not more, not less’…”
CANADA: A 3% CUT
The Globe and Mail has reported that, “The Harper government has committed to reducing Canada’s greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent from 2006 levels by 2020, but has not laid out its policies for achieving that goal.”
“Ottawa’s target would lower emissions to 3 percent below 1990 levels (by 2020)…”
U.S.: A 6% CUT
Bloomberg has reported that, “The (recent) proposal (from the White House for emission cuts) is in line with pending legislation in the House and the Senate. A bill passed by the House in June calls for a 17 percent reduction (from 2005 levels) while a measure proposed in the Senate calls for a cut of 20 percent.”
Washington’s target would lower emissions to 6 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
DEEPER CUTS NEEDED
But much more is needed than what either Canada or the United States are proposing.
The Council of Canadians is a signatory to the Kyotoplus petition which calls for a national target to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that reductions of at least 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 are needed on the part of global North countries.
The Council of Canadians also recognizes recent science which indicates even deeper reductions are needed. That science says global North countries should be committing to reductions of at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
You can sign the Kyotoplus petition at http://canadians.org/kyotoplus/.
The CBC report is at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/04/prentice-copenhagen.html.
