Officials from the Prime Minister's office have said Harper will
spend three days in Europe this week meeting G8 leaders in France,
Germany, Italy and Great Britain. He is expected to continue
demanding that developing countries, such as India and China, do
more to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions when the current
Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"It is inappropriate for Prime Minister Harper to go anywhere
and lecture anyone on Kyoto commitments, given his record," said
Dave Martin, Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner. "Under
Harper, Canada has rejected its Kyoto commitment and has targets
for greenhouse gas reductions far short of European
commitments."
Harper's visits to key G8 leaders continue his attempts to
derail efforts to produce a post-Kyoto pact for reducing greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions after 2012. Harper telephoned U.S. President
George W. Bush before his visit to discuss his approach.
Harper's climate change plan, "Turning the Corner," commits
Canada to reducing GHG emissions to 20 per cent below the level in
2006 by 2020, far weaker than reduction commitments in Europe. For
example, Germany is committed to a 40 per cent reduction from 1990
by 2020.
Greenpeace is mounting a KYOTOplus campaign to convince Ottawa
to commit to a 25 per cent reduction from 1990 by 2020. If Canada
achieved this reduction, GHGs would fall to 444 million tonnes in
2020, at least 130 million tonnes less than Harper's
commitment.
If current reckless development of the Alberta tar sands
continues, Canada's emissions will climb even higher.
"Canada under Stephen Harper has shown zero leadership on
climate change. European leaders should do themselves and Canadians
a favour by ignoring him until he commits to the deep reductions
that are needed," said Martin.
Greenpeace also says leaders at the conference on biodiversity
now under way in Bonn should reject Harper's message since Canada,
which has not signed the Convention on Biodiversity, has no
credibility on the issue.
"The Canadian delegation has been the main stumbling block in
the negotiation on biodiversity protection in Bonn," said Eric
Darier, an agriculture campaigner and member of the Greenpeace
delegation. "If Stephen Harper wanted to do something about the
environment he could instruct his delegation to be more flexible
and let the world move on for stronger biological diversity."
At the conference, Canada has blocked, diluted and delayed any
progress on key agenda items, such as agrofuels; forests and
agriculture.
"The Canadian approach in Bonn is so weak that the delegates
should give serious consideration to moving the CBD Secretariat in
Montreal to a country that actually supports action on
biodiversity," said Darier.
For more information, please contact:
Eric Darier, Agriculture Campaigner in Bonn, + (49) 157 373 679
39
Dave Martin, Climate and Energy campaigner, (416) 627-5004
Brian Blomme, Media and Public Relations Officer, (416)
930-9055