Published by Senator Grant Mitchell on 14 September 2007
Climate change and our Kyoto obligations have created a classic opportunity for great leadership; leadership to solve the problem and leadership to capitalize upon the economic opportunities the problem presents.
Despite much effort to convince Canadians he is doing something about climate change, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has done almost nothing.
Early in its mandate, the Harper government cancelled the climate change programs of the previous Liberal government, arguing that these programs were inefficient.
In her appearance before the Senate environment committee, then Environment Minister (Rona Ambrose) admitted she had never done a review of these programs, clearly begging the question of how she would know they were inefficient. In fact, the Treasury Board had done a review and had established they were very efficient.
Since that time, in response to growing public concern with climate change, and the clear leadership of Stephane Dion on the issue, Harper has tried to spin himself some Kyoto credibility by reintroducing gutted versions of the Liberal programs.
Harper's recently announced response to the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act of 2007 is a direct refusal to comply with our Kyoto obligations despite the fact Parliament has directed him to do so.
What a shame it is that the leadership of one of the most successful countries in the world refuses to set an example the rest of the world would be encouraged to achieve.
Harper and (Environment Minister John) Baird argue that investing in Kyoto will wreak havoc on the economy. Yet, it only makes sense the kind of investment required to meet Kyoto such as new technologies, industrial construction, and research and development, will actually stimulate the economy.
Witness other major environmental efforts, such as dealing with the impact of CFCs on the ozone layer, and with acid rain. Both came with dire warnings of economic disaster, lost jobs, an "acid rain recession," or industries going under.
None of this happened. Experience shows that major environmental initiatives are generally accomplished with much less cost and in much less time than originally anticipated.
Industry witnesses at the Senate environment committee this spring provided reassuring testimony on achieving Kyoto targets. The Forest Products Association of Canada reported its membership has already reduced its carbon footprint to 44 per cent below 1990 levels, seven times Canada's Kyoto target of six per cent below 1990 levels.
The Canadian Chemical Producers' Association reported a reduction to 56 per cent below 1990 levels, nine times Kyoto targets. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters reported a reduction to 7.4 per cent below 1990 levels while increasing productivity by almost 50 per cent.
Despite the unprecedented level of scientific consensus about climate change, assume for the sake of argument that there is only a 50 per cent chance it is occurring and that it is related to human activity. If there were a 50 per cent chance of a significant terrorist attack, would we expect our government to do little or nothing about it?
The Harper government ignores the evidence that meeting Kyoto will not be nearly as financially onerous as it would have us believe. Even industry witnesses before the Senate committee placed the cost of meeting Kyoto targets to the end of 2012 at $30 billion, or $6 billion per year, a figure agreed to by a Conservative senator.
This is less than one-half of one per cent of Canada's annual GDP. To put that in perspective, consider that the one per cent reduction in the GST will amount to more than $25 billion over the same period. Hard to see how meeting Kyoto targets will wreak havoc on the economy!
This government needs to view Kyoto not as a cost but as an opportunity. Continuing as we are will likely be far more damaging to our economy than will meeting our Kyoto obligations. A strong 21st century economy will have to be an economy of the environment. The opportunity lies not in fighting Kyoto, but in embracing it. You would think that a political party that prides itself on its support of business would be all over the economic potential of dealing with climate change.
Perhaps dealing with this environmental issue conjures up the prospect of increased government regulation. So, instead of running from this challenge, they should find the least intrusive solution. Now that would be leadership.
While dealing with climate change will be good for the economy, certain industries or regions could be disadvantaged.
That is clearly a concern for Albertans. It should also be a concern for all Canadians; to a significant degree, Canada has the wealth that gives us the chance to deal with Kyoto because of the Alberta energy industry's contribution to the national economy.
Great government rises to the challenges of its time. Great leadership would be invigorated by a challenge of the magnitude of climate change and Kyoto. While they dither, history is already beginning to define this Conservative government.
Grant Mitchell is the Liberal senator from Alberta who was the Senate sponsor of the Kyoto bill C-288 that passed this spring.