Canada's climate plan is dishonest, says Greenpeace

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Canada’s federal and Alberta provincial governments ignored the findings of a joint task force and deceived the public when they committed $2.5 billion to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, suggests a briefing note to the report obtained by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The briefing note states that "only a small percentage" of emitted carbondioxide (CO2) in the tar sands can be captured, despite government claims tothe contrary. Both governments have sold their CCS plan domestically andinternationally as a solution to the runaway greenhouse gas emissionsproduced by Alberta's tar sands development.

The Alberta and federal governments also failed to disclose that CCS willcost billions of dollars annually and that both governments share thelong-term legal liability for storing CO2. The Canadian government isexpected to tout its investment in CCS as a global warming solution at theinternational climate talks in Poznan, Poland next week.

"The tar sands are Canada's fastest growing source of greenhouse gasemissions and this report raises serious questions about the country'scommitment to combating climate change," said Mike Hudema, tar sandscampaigner with Greenpeace. "This report reveals what we've been saying allalong: carbon capture and storage is a scam. It is the ultimate industrypipe dream."

Last summer, Greenpeace released an international report on CCS, entitledFalse Hope: Why Carbon Capture and Storage Won't Save the Climate. Thereport dispels some of the myths surrounding CCS while calling ongovernments to invest in long-term solution to the climate crisis andexplore safe, clean and proven energy technologies like wind and solar.

"Canada couldn't meet its Kyoto Protocol targets because of the tar sands,and now it's clear that Canada's investment in CCS is nothing more than asmokescreen to disguise the government's inaction on climate change," saidHudema. "Instead of continuing down a path the government's own advisors aresaying won't work, we should be creating the clean economy of the 21stcentury."

The task force report was sent months in advance of the governments' $2.5billion investment - the world's biggest - in CCS technology.