Canada's obstruction pushes global warming talks to the brink

The United Nations climate conference ended with an agreement to negotiate a post-Kyoto accord by 2009, but little substantive change. Throughout the two-week conference, Canada joined the United States and Japan in blocking progress to the negotiations and opposing a proposal by the European Union to reduce greenhouse emissions from industrialized nations by 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

"Environment Minister John Baird pushed international climate negotiations to the brink of complete failure," said Dave Martin, coordinator of Greenpeace Canada's climate and energy campaign. "An agreement to talk is a very slow start to negotiating the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol."

Greenpeace has called on Canada and other industrialized nations to support a post-2012 ‘Kyotoplus' agreement that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent by 2050. These reductions are necessary to prevent global average temperature rising more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Any increase above that level will result in catastrophic impacts.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada agreed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by six per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. However, emissions actually increased 25 per cent by the end of 2005. Canada currently ranks seventh from the bottom amongst 41 industrialized nations in terms of emission changes since 1990.

"We need a strengthened second phase of the Kyoto agreement to save the planet," said Martin. "Canada should be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

In addition to a mandate to negotiate a strengthened second phase of the Kyoto Protocol, the agreement in Bali has also taken the first steps towards achieving reductions in deforestation emissions, helping people to adapt to the impacts of climate change, and support in moving to clean energy technologies.