From international legislation to national commitments
Negotiations and agreements on the climate
1967: Syukuro Manabe and Richard Wetherald, scientists, predict a doubling of the CO² concentration by the start of the 21st century along with a temperature increase of 2.5°c.
1979: First world climate conference in Geneva. Beginning of a world climate program led by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Program for the Environment (UNPE).
1987: World commission on the environment and development chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland. Publication of the report "Our common future", with the concept of «sustainable development» starting to become popularized.
1988: Toronto Conference and creation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The scientific community favoured a 20% reduction of CO² emissions (compared to the 1988 level) by 2005.
1992: Rio Earth Summit. Signing of the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change (UNFACC). It recognizes the existence of climate change and its human origin. It places the responsibility for fighting this phenomenon on industrialized countries. The objective is the stabilization "of concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a level which prevents any dangerous man-made disturbance of the climate system." This should be done "in a sufficient timeframe allowing ecosystems to naturally adapt to climate change, so that food production is not threatened and economic development can continue in a sustainable manner."
1997: Adoption of the Kyoto Protocol during the 3rd conference of the parties of the UNFACC. 38 industrialized countries and the European Community agree to reduce their emissions of six greenhouse gases by at least 5% (compared to the 1990 level) for the period of 2008-2012. It will enter into force in 2005, signed by 55 countries, representing 55% of world greenhouse gas emissions.
2007: Bali Conference. Establishes a cue sheet in order to prepare discussions to extend the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 during the Copenhagen Conference.
2009: Copenhagen Conference. This is the first truly global agreement setting the goal of reducing half the world's greenhouse gas emissions (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050, in order avoid an increase in temperature of 2°c in 2100 as compared to 1850 (pre-industrial era). However, the agreement is not legally binding, sets no deadline and lacks specific quantitative objectives; whereas the scientific community clearly defined that global emissions must be reduced by 40% in 2020. Each country is free to formulate the objectives for lowering emissions for the period of 2015-2020.
2011: Between November, 28th to December, 11th, 2011, was held the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa. The goal of this conference was to gather more than 190 countries to find an agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol, ending in 2012. Negotiations satisfied the political establishment while the non-governmental organizations disappointed not to see an agreement signed. Indeed, at the end of 15 days of negotiations, they was no binding agreement signed nor greenhouse gases emissions quota defined. The conference hardly allowed participants to define a roadmap announcing the creation of a new binding legal framework involving the represented countries, that will be signed in 2015 and will come into effect in 2020. The governments of 35 industrialized nations came to an agreement to carry on the Kyoto Protocol starting January, 2013. Bu Canada, Japan and Russia have already declared that they did not want to get involved in the second phase of the Kyoto Protocol. Finally, the conference allowed the creation of a Green Climate Fund to help developing countries face climate change. It will funded by industrialized countries starting in 2013 at a rate of 100 billion dollars per year. Remember that the top ten greenhouse gas emitting countries are (in the order): China, United States of America, India, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Canada, Mexico and Iran. These 10 are responsible for two-thirds of worldwide GHG emissions. Alone, the top five of the list are responsible for half GHG worldwide emissions. They are also the most resistant countries to a binding agreement of GHG reduction emissions.
Actions of Canada
Canada is responsible for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It has one of the highest per capita emission rates in the world.
Since 1990, CO² emissions have increased by 159 million tons, 54% of which comes from fossil fuels .
Canada's emission record is negative due to strong carbon-intense economic growth (despite a drop during the crisis); namely due to investments in the production of natural gas and oil (including the tar sands).
Predictions concerning emissions in this sector are not positive. The Canadian Association of Oil Producers and the National Energy Board estimate that their production should triple by 2016, thereby emissions linked to these activities would be multiplied 5 times by 2020; and thus represent 40% of the country's emissions.
In order to reduce its emissions, Canada has set up several policies, which are hard to understand because they are each so different and often overlap.
In 2006, Canada adopted the Clean Air Act with the objective of reducing GHG emissions by 45% to 65% (compared to the 2003 level) by 2050. However, there are no restrictive measures associated with the Act.
In addition to this Act, at the Copenhagen Summit in 2009, Canada will set the objective of reducing its emissions by 17% (compared to 2005 levels) by putting an emphasis on policies in the transportation and electricity sectors.
Finally, the government of Canada also established a carbon market in Canada. The new Canadian system of compensatory credits for greenhouse gases is designed to help reduce GHG emissions within set reduction objectives. The carbon market will allow businesses that have reduced their GHG emissions beyond the targets set by the government to sell credits (units for each ton of GHG) on the market. Companies that wish to compensate their emissions or which haven't met the reduction targets will have to buy the available credits. The price of a ton of GHG will fluctuate according to supply and demand.
In conclusion, and this should be kept in mind, the measures announced by the federal and provincial governments have the objective of reducing Canada's emissions by about 65Mt by 2020. Therefore Canada would reach 785Mt in emissions per year, compared to 850Mt the previous years. This represents only a quarter of the reductions required to meet the objective of 607Mt that the countries had set in Copenhagen.
Thus, the measures announced by the federal and provincial governments will not allow them to reach the objectives set for the reduction of greenhouse gases in Canada.
Quebec: The green shift
In November 2009, Quebec adopted a very ambitious GHG reduction target, going beyond the objectives set by Canada.
Quebec intends to reduce its emissions by 20% (under the 1990 level) by 2020.
This is a great challenge, but it is synonymous with the province's priorities of job creation, innovation, opening new markets and the improving the quality of life of Quebeckers.
For this Quebec set up two climate change action plans (CCAP).
The first one, already underway, for the period of 2006-2012 and the second for the period of 2013-2020, for which the actions will be finalized in spring 2012. The first CCAP has the objective of reducing GHG emissions by14.6Mt (under 1990 levels), by 2012. For this, the provincial government set up 26 reduction actions articulated around different energy sectors, transport, industry, residual matter, agriculture and governmental activities.
Here are some of them:
- Measure 6: Favour the development and use of public transport.
- Measure 18: Support various awareness-raising initiatives for the public and partnerships.
- Measure 21: Set up mechanisms that will allow for the prevention and mitigation of climate change impacts on health and public safety.
- Measure 25: Strengthen the modes of water management and air quality.