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For release: June 5, 2008

Environment groups applaud climate change bill

Bonn, Germany - Canadian environmental groups today applauded the passing of Bill C-377, the Climate Change Accountability Act, despite the opposition of Canada’s minority government. This new law is an important step towards deep reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

When implemented, this law will require Canada to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent by 2050. The targets, based on recommendations of international climate scientists, are designed to prevent catastrophic climate change impacts. The Act will require the federal government to implement regulations and other strong measures to meet the targets.

The Act has the same targets as the KYOTOplus campaign, which was endorsed by opposition leaders Stéphane Dion, Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton in April. Environmental groups across the country are mobilizing the public to support the KYOTOplus targets for greenhouse gas reductions.

“The Canadian government has been fighting meaningful targets every step of the way and blocking progress on international negotiations.” said Graham Saul, of Climate Action Network Canada, who is currently in Bonn. “This bill is a powerful message to the world that Canadians want their country to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

“We have a year and a half to achieve a global agreement at the December 2009 United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen,” said Steven Guilbeault of Équiterre.

“Canadians want their government to be a leader not a laggard in the fight against global warming,” said Dale Marshall of the David Suzuki Foundation. “This Act, once it has passed through the Senate, can be used to force Canada’s government to show international leadership, whether it wants to or not.”

Under the auspices of the United Nations, signatories to the Kyoto Protocol are currently meeting in Bonn June 2-12 to negotiate the next phase of Kyoto, which is set to begin in 2012. The agreement must be finalized in December 2009 at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen.

The approval of Bill C-377 comes as Canadian provinces are increasingly taking the initiative in the struggle against climate change. British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec, have joined several US states in the Western Climate Initiative which aims to establish a cap-and-trade system. On Monday, Ontario announced that it would also work with Quebec on an emissions trading system.

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