Canada failing to meet greenhouse gas targets

Canada’s environmental watchdog says the government is all but certain to miss the target it set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. An audit by the Commissioner of the Environment, Julie Gelfand, found the government has no specific plan for meeting the target.

In signing the Kyoto Protocol, Canada had promised to cut emissions 17 per cent below 2005 levels. “I think when you make a commitment, you need to keep it,” Gelfand said. “It’s very difficult for us in Canada to expect other countries to meet their commitments when Canada can’t meet its own.”

ListenPromised regulations have not materialized

The government had set out to meet the target by developing regulations on a sector by sector basis. “They have not met their deadlines for setting up these regulations,” says Gelfand. “They have not coordinated with the provinces and territories to ensure that we achieve the national target.”

Emissions are growing the fastest in the energy sector, yet regulations to limit carbon dioxide produced by the oil and gas industry have yet to be introduced, she notes. Gelfand says the governments of Canada and the province of Alberta had planned to set up a world class monitoring program to look at the environmental effects of developing the oil sands and they were on time in the nine projects that were audited. However, she said the government should engage with aboriginal communities and let them know whether it plans to continue to monitor the sector.

Some projects are assessed, some are not

While Canada has a law requiring formal environmental assessment of projects, Gelfand says it is not being applied in a uniform or transparent way. “There is a list of projects that will get and environmental assessment but what’s not clear is why certain projects are on the list and other projects are not. So, we’re concerned that some major projects could proceed without proper (scrutiny of )  environmental impact.”

Arctic charts ‘not current or reliable’

Although the government has been talking up the Arctic, Gelfand found that maps of the area are inadequate as are navigation aids. She added there have been improvements in weather and ice information to support navigation.

Gelfand’s job is to look at government commitments and whether it is meeting them. “We recognize there have been some improvements but overall I would say that my biggest concern is the issue of whether or not we will meet our climate change commitments.” Her report says the “evidence is stronger that the growth in emissions will not be reversed in time and that the target will be missed.”