On 28 november, international climate-change negotiations will begin in Durban, South Africa, such as the gang 17th Annual Conference of the parties the (COP17) at the of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change gets . This is the first of a series of blog posts of Amara Possian, who Canadian youth delegation the Coordinator of the Conference. Amara will write for The Mark in the whole month, keeping us up to date, such as discussions unfold.
These days, even scoffing foreign diplomats on Canada's climate policy. A recent interview In The Globe and Mail, with Mohau Pheko, the South African High Commissioner to Canada, asked, "are you going to follow the United States, you are also going to be a serial non-ratifier of all agreements? ... Why take a moral high ground before, on the question of the environment, and suddenly a u-turn do now? "
Pheko was referring to the Harper Government unwillingness to take a second commitment period for emission reductions to the Kyoto Protocol, and she is not the only one who is stunned by Canada's international and domestic climate policy backwards.
The legally binding Kyoto Protocol, which Canada ratified in 2002, is set to expire in 2012. This means that the discussion around to accept a second commitment period for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) can no longer be postponed if the international community is serious about stopping dangerous climate changes. The Canadian Government, is opposed to committing a second reduction period because many countries, such as large emitters of greenhouse gases such as China and India, need not to make any reductions under the agreement.
In her opposition to the agreement appears to have Canada turned his back on the common but differentiated responsibilityidea. The paths of the carbon-intensive and industrial development of rich countries such as Canada are what led to the current high levels of GHG emissions that have led to such unprecedented warming. "Common but differentiated responsibility," an important principle of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, refers to the responsibility of these rich countries to act first and foremost when it comes to addressing climate change.
Sure, India and China should also reduce their emissions if we want to avoid catastrophic climate change. But, as a fellow activist once said, "if my grass is overgrown, I should not be yelling at my neighbor mowing his lawn."
Why did Canada's climate policy taken such a dramatic turn away from the proactive and constructive international engagement that we in the past years were known for?
The answer is simple: Canada's priorities are negotiations is influenced by our powerful oil and gas industry.
There is a very thin line separating our oil industry of our Government. For example, in July 2011, Alykhan Velshi, Director of the former Communications Minister for EthicalOil.orgof immigration Jason Kenney, launched, a website to promote Canada's tar sands as "ethical" energy source. A few days ago, Velshi stepped down from his "grassroots" position to a job in the Prime Minister.
The Canadian Government $ 1.4 billion also offers subsidies to the oil and gas industry each year, quadruple production and there are plans to of the tar sands in 2015. If, if the Harper Government hope, the Keystone XL or Northern Gateway pipelines are approved, we will be trapped in expanding our export of the carbon-intensive oil for decades.
But Canada's actions in support of its oil interests do not stop at home: in the past two years 110 meetings held , the Canadian Government officials abroad with the aim of derailing European fuel legislation that are in danger can bring oil markets.
At the same time, we have already sabotaging our domestic ability to assess and monitor the impact of environmental policies and projects. Strip in July 2011, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency lost 43.1% of its federal funding, its ability to evaluate proposed projects. Less than a month later, the Government cut 11 percent of Environment Canada's workforce – 776 meteorologists, scientists, chemists and engineers at their job if the Department grants, and operational decreased by 31 percentexpenditure capital lost. And, in mid-October, after 34 years of the Canadian Environmental Network inform environmental policy by not away -partisan consultation, the Government of its entire $ 536,000 in funding.
In the not-so-distant past would Canadians proud of our international reputation. In fact, was the first high-level international Summit on climate change held in Toronto in closed 1988, where participants-that the threat of climate change was change "second only to a global nuclear war." These days, on climate negotiations, happiness you that if international members you speak when they find out that you are from Canada.
Photo courtesy of Reuters.
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