Matthew Bramley, climate change director at the Pembina Institute, today outlined an affordable plan for Canadian industry to do its fair share towards meeting Canada's Kyoto target to cut greenhouse gas pollution. The Fair Share, Green Share proposal was presented on behalf of Pembina and the Climate Action Network-Réseau action climat (CAN-RAC) to the legislative committee studying the government's Clean Air Act. It provides a blueprint for regulating heavy industry and launching the transformation needed for Canada to meet the demands of the Green Economy of the 21st century.
"The science is clear, and there is a compelling case for urgent action now. Our proposal is based on the principle that polluters pay their full share," said Dr. Bramley. "Requiring that industry assume its Fair Share, Green Share of responsibility for cutting climate change pollution will not only get us nearly halfway to Canada's Kyoto target, it will also spark the kind of innovation required to transform our economy into an environmental world leader."
Twenty Canadian environmental organizations have signed on to a package of proposed amendments to strengthen Canada's Clean Air Act. The Fair Share, Green Share proposal elaborates on one of those amendments: a fixed cap on emissions from heavy industry to take effect in 2008.
The proposal would require each of the main heavy industry sectors in Canada - oil and gas, electricity generation, and energy-consuming industries like manufacturing - to cut their net greenhouse gas pollution back to 6 per cent below their 1990 emission levels. This is the same target that Canada as a whole is obligated to meet under the Kyoto Protocol.
The Fair Share, Green Share proposal is also affordable, in part because it gives industry the flexibility to count the results of investments in domestic or international projects that certifiably reduce emissions, as allowed under Kyoto. Specifically, it limits the cost to industry:
- Even in the emissions-intensive, rapidly growing oilsands sector, meeting the target would cost on the order of a dollar per barrel - a very manageable cost that's just a small fraction of the level of fluctuation seen almost daily in the market price of oil.
- For coal-fired electricity generation, meeting the target would cost on the order of one cent per kilowatt-hour. This cost would fall as government-funded investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency come onstream.
The Climate Action Network-Réseau action climat (CAN-RAC) is emphasizing the innovative benefits of taking action versus the certain cost of waiting longer.
"As Former World Bank Chief Economist Sir Nicholas Stern illustrated yesterday while visiting Canada, tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy; failing to take sufficient action would ultimately undermine economic growth", said Dr. Bramley.
Dr. Bramley also emphasized the need for the government to regulate real reductions, not just "intensity" cuts that would allow Canada's emissions to continue rising.
"Intensity means nothing to the environment. Governments must set mandatory targets in a way that is honest, transparent, and produces real reductions," said Dr. Bramley.
The Fair Share, Green Share plan can be found at www.pembina.org
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Contact : Andrew Dumbrille, CAN-RAC, 613-862-1852