×

Loading...

It’s also the current government that withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol that was signed by previous government though.

Sign in and Reply Report

Replies, comments and Discussions:

  • Talking about CO2 reduction, the Conservative government actually does a better job than the previous Liberal government.

    Since taking office in 2006, the Canadian Conservative Party government led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from 749 to 726 (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq). From 1993 until 2006, the previous liberal government increased greenhouse gas emissions from 600 to 749 (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq).

    Copied from Wikipedia.  Original source:

    http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=en&n=FBF8455E-1

    • Carbon emission are still increasing year over year though, both governments have failed to reduce emissions. The only reduction that happened was due to the financial crisis in 2008 that saw everyone spending and consuming less goods.
      • Yeah, from the graph we can clearly conclude that recession is the most efficient way to reduce carbon emission. But how many of us are willing to stay in a recession forever, just to reduce carbon emission? :)
    • It’s also the current government that withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol that was signed by previous government though. +1
      • Yes, they did it. Also they provided the rationale of doing that.

        Canada’s Withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol

        On December 15, 2011, the Government of Canada officially notified the UNFCCC that Canada would exercise its legal right to formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol. To fulfill its obligations under the Protocol, Canada would have had to purchase a significant and costly amount of international credits using funds that could be invested here, in Canada, on domestic priorities, including the environment.

        From an environmental perspective, the Kyoto Protocol has not served the international community well in meeting the real challenges of global climate change or effectively engaging all major economies. The Protocol only covers countries responsible for a small, and increasingly smaller, percentage of global emissions and, as a consequence, is not an effective vehicle for addressing the global challenge of climate change. Importantly for Canada, the United States, which is Canada’s biggest economic trading partner and is responsible for nearly 20% of global emissions, is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

        These issues have led Canada to focus its efforts on the development of a fairer and more comprehensive global agreement based on the Copenhagen Accord, the Cancun Agreements and the Durban Platform. This includes implementing domestic measures toward achieving Canada’s GHG emissions reduction commitments.

        http://www.ec.gc.ca/Publications/default.asp?lang=En&n=EE4F06AE-1&xml=EE4F06AE-13EF-453B-B633-FCB3BAECEB4F&offset=3&toc=show%3E

         

      • Just did a very quick research. About 87% of global emission is not covered by Kyoto Protocol. It has no effect on most major GHG contributor countries, such as China, India, USA, Russia, and Brazil. How could such protocol make sense?
        • I probably shouldn't have brought up the Kyoto Protocol issue,

          whether or not it makes sense, and whether or not the "rationale" justifies the decision to totally abandon the Kyoto Protocol, those are different topics.

          But trying to claim that PC does a better job using results beyond 2006 doesn't seem to be fair, after all, the Liberal lost the election in 2006, people would argue that, if they were able to stay in power, the Liberal would have beaten PC on this considering that they have committed to a very challenging target.

          If I were PC, I wouldn't go in this direction, to me, it's a tough sell, it might do more harm than good. :)