Lightening our climate footprint

Strong emission reduction targets will give Canada's climate efforts the focus and discipline needed to achieve success in getting this country's above-average climate impact under control. Canada should commit to an absolute 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (compared to 1990 levels). The best way to send a signal about Canada's seriousness in achieving these targets is to put a proper price on carbon – at least $50 a tonne by 2015 and $75 a tonne by 2020. As a society, we need to reign in runaway resource development, particularly in the tar sands, and take a smart, innovative approach to building an economy that can compete – and a society that can thrive – in what will be the climate century.

• Make genuine best efforts to meet our international obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and to fashion a new agreement at the 2009 UN climate conference in Copenhagen that will dramatically and equitably reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Put a realistic price on greenhouse gas emissions –at least $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide now, $50 a tonne by 2015 and $75 tonne by 2020 – in order to drive innovation and efficiency and to reflect the true costs to ecosystems and the health of Canadians of unchecked global warming.
• Help Canadian individuals and businesses reduce their climate footprint with a Sustainable Energy Strategy that combines an effective mixture of regulatory standards, financial incentives and support for innovation to cut energy use in Canada by 20% (relative to 2005) by 2020.
• Give green power a big boost by increasing support for Canada's growing renewable power industry through expanded incentive programs, skills training support, and research in order to increase green power production by 35,000 megawatts by 2020 (a 55% increase in Canada's total renewable generation capacity from 2000).
• Set the right example for all Canadians by making the federal government's own operations carbon neutral.

 

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