Bali — Canada has slipped to 53rd of 56 countries in an annual ranking of climate change performance released today at the UN climate conference in Bali, Indonesia. This is two positions lower than last year, when Canada placed 51st overall.
"The government is still not making a serious effort to cut greenhouse gas pollution, and that leaves Canada at the back of the pack," said Matthew Bramley of the Pembina Institute, who contributed to the study. "The gap between the government’s rhetoric and its action to date severely weakens Canada’s credibility here in Bali."
The study, compiled by the environmental organization Germanwatch, compares 56 countries in three different ways, and then calculates a combined Climate Change Performance Index. The Pembina Institute prepared an evaluation of federal greenhouse gas reduction policies as input into this year’s index.
Canada ranks 46th for its emissions levels, 43rd for its emission trends, and 55th for the effectiveness of its national government policies. Only Australia, the United States and Saudi Arabia received lower overall scores.
"Today’s study re-confirms the weakness of Canada’s effort to combat global warming, as many other independent studies have already done," added Matthew Bramley. "But with the world watching, the Bali conference provides a golden opportunity for Canada to strengthen its targets and policies."
Environment Minister John Baird will arrive in Bali next week. The Bali conference’s main task is to launch negotiations for a post-2012 global climate agreement that expands and strengthens the Kyoto Protocol.
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The Climate Change Performance Index is available at www.germanwatch.org/ccpi.htm.
The Pembina Institute's Evaluation of the Government of Canada's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Policies is available at CCPI-2008.pdf
Contacts:
Matthew Bramley, Pembina Institute, +62-81-338-969113
Johanne Whitmore, Pembina Institute, 819-210-6115