Canada Signs a New Emissions Pact After Failing to Meet Kyoto's Targets

source: artizans.com

Prime Minister recently announced that Canada is going to sign onto an emissions pact, Asia-Pacific Partnership. This announcement came a United Nations session held recently in New York, the main purpose of which was to extend the Kyoto Protocol which is due to expire in 2012. Mr. Harper has never mentioned Kyoto in any of his speeches regarding emissions. This new emissions pact’s targets are not binding upon the members of the partnership, perhaps one of the main reasons why the Prime Minister decided to join it. Some of the other countries to join this new partnership like U.S. and Australia have not signed Kyoto. According to some experts this partnership is anti-Kyoto.

Although Canada has ratified to have signed the Kyoto Protocol, Mr. Harper has never considered it binding enough to achieve the goals set out under Kyoto shrugging it off as unrealistic and not achievable in the near future. Under the Kyoto requirements to cut the emissions, Canada has failed to do so and currently the emissions are 30 percent over the level Canada is required to have met by 2012. Due to the fact that Canada has not been able to lower its emissions and instead has seen a sharp rise, Mr. Harper has decided to sign the rival pact in order to show the world that it he intends to set goals that are realistic only in his government’s view. An important thing worth mentioning is that none of the European countries, who are one of the strongest supporters of Kyoto, have signed this new partnership. Mr. Harper also fails to realize that the developed countries are responsible for setting a model for the developing countries. If the developed countries like Canada are not able to cut their emissions and adhere to the Kyoto Protocol and instead find mere excuses to join another pact, there is not much one can expect from the developing nations in cutting their own emissions.

Canada Joins New Partnership to Fight Global Warming


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Sources and References:
[1] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070925.wharper25/BNStory/National/home?cid=al_gam_mostview
[2] http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/asia-pacific-partnership.html
[3] http://artizans.com/