“CBC News has obtained draft documents that were prepared for presentation to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet in the weeks leading up to the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen.”
“The documents outline a working draft position of Canada’s stance on emissions targets.”
THE PROPOSAL
1- “The draft proposal talks about harmonizing its approach to cutting greenhouse gases with the United States.”
2- “It compares the Conservatives’ 2007 green plan, called Turning the Corner, with U.S. legislation (the American Clean Energy and Security Act) passed by the House of Representatives and suggests the targets of Canada’s plan are more stringent.”
3- “It says that Canada, when setting targets, must take into account that its oil and gas sector will show greater growth than the U.S, in part because of the oilsands.”
4- “The draft proposal suggests Canada should set new targets that would be lower than what was originally proposed by the Conservatives.”
NEW TARGETS
1- “The proposal suggests that the oil and gas industry would have to cut 15 megatonnes of emissions, rather than 48 megatonnes under its Turning the Corner plan.”
2- “It also says projected growth in greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands in northern Alberta will be 165 per cent by 2020 and proposes to cut that growth — not emissions — by 10 per cent.”
QUESTIONS
“The proposal raises questions about how the Tories could cut overall greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020 (from 2006 levels, which is really a 3 per cent cut from 1990 levels) – a target they insist they can reach – while weakening the targets in the oil and gas sector.”
The report is at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/12/14/greenhouse-gas-emissions.html.
