Canadian PM under fire for not fighting climate change
|
|
|
| Posted
:
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:13:04 GMT |
| By
:
Xinhua |
| Category
:
Environment |
| News Alerts by
Email ( click
here ) |
|
Environment News |
Home
|
|
|
|
Ottawa, Nov 27 (Xinhua) Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's stance on climate change at the Commonwealth meeting came under fire with opposition accusing the government of 'sabotaging' world environmental efforts.'Instead of leading by example, this prime minister engaged in sabotage of the Commonwealth conference,' Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said at the House of Commons Monday.'When the Commonwealth turned to Canada ... Canada looked away,' added Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff.On Saturday, Commonwealth leaders failed to agree on recommending binding cuts to carbon dioxide emissions ahead of next month's climate conference in Bali, largely because of Canada's opposition to the measure.Opposition leaders argued that the 1997 Kyoto Protocol failed because it did not impose binding cuts on major emitters while the US and Australia had refused to ratify the pact.The opposition said Harper, with his refusal to approve the resolution in Uganda, has already blocked any chance of real progress to be made at the Bali conference.'The prime minister shamed us this weekend and he acted like an environmental criminal,' said Bloc Quebecois (BQ) MP Bernard Bigras.BQ leader Gilles Duceppe wrote a letter to Indonesia's president, appealing to him not to listen to what the Canadian government has to say.Environment Minister John Baird fired back Monday, saying it is not that Canada is opposed to binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions, but that all big emitters need to come on board to effectively combat the problem.Canada had agreed under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce its emissions to six percent below 1990 levels by 2012, but emissions have instead increased by 35 percent.The government has declared repeatedly that the target is impractical and thus unattainable.In April, Baird unveiled a plan to cut Canada's emissions by 20 percent by 2020, based on 2006 levels, and by up to 70 percent by 2050. (c) Indo-Asian News Service
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related News
Economic recovery, climate change tops G20 meeting - Update St Andrews, Scotland - Finance ministers from the world's 20 leading economies were meeting Saturday in the Scottish golf resort of St Andrews in a bid to reinforce signs of a tentative recovery that have emerged in the global eoncomy. But coming in ...
Can anyone save a Copenhagen climate treaty? - Feature Brussels - It is not often that negotiators call talks a failure before they have begun, but that seemed the case on Friday ahead of United Nations climate-change talks in Copenhagen. ...
Binding climate treaty in Copenhagen deemed unlikely - Summary Barcelona - Negotiators from several European and developing countries stressed Friday the need for a legally binding treaty to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol but conceded such a deal may not be reached at the upcoming Copenhagen climate conference....
India, EU leaders hold talks on trade, climate change New Delhi - Leaders from India and the European Union began discussions at a summit Friday during which both sides were expected to give a boost to negotiations for a free-trade pact and expand cooperation in areas ranging from counter-terrorism to c...
Key Senate panel approves climate bill; Republicans boycott - Summary Washington - A key Senate committee approved a landmark climate bill Thursday that would force US companies to curb greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming. But the 11-1 vote in the Senate Environment Committee was boycotted by opposition ...
Key Senate panel approves climate bill; Republicans boycott Washington - A key Senate committee approved a landmark climate bill Thursday that would force US companies to curb greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for global warming. But the 11-1 vote in the Senate Environment Committee was boycotted by opposition ...
UN: Developed countries need to cut gas emissions by 25-40 per cent Athens - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on developed countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40 per cent in an address to the Greek parliament Thursday. With just over a month remaining before a key UN climate change conference in...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|