Conservatives’ Record of Failure on Kyoto and the Environment
The Conservatives never seemed to have any intention of following through with Canada’s part in Kyoto, which makes us look rather two-faced and weak in the context of the international community.
In 2002, Stephen Harper apparently wrote a letter saddling the Kyoto accord with responsibility for “sucking” money from wealth-producing countries. The CBC reported on the issue.
“I’m talking about the ‘battle of Kyoto’ — our campaign to block the job-killing, economy-destroying Kyoto accord.”
From the beginning Harper viewed the Kyoto accord as “economy-destroying.” It’s not secret he wanted it scrapped. By the time 13 January 2006 rolled around this was further confirmed in this CBC article, where Harper states
“The Kyoto accord will not succeed at achieving its objectives and this government, the Canadian government, cannot achieve its objectives…”
16 June 2006, A CBC article reported on the failing grade, which the Sierra Club gave the Conservative government regarding its approach to the environment. While it was Chrétien’s liberal government that got us into the Kyoto Accord in the first place, the Conservatives’ actions played against their words, as it quoted then environment minister, Rona Ambrose, saying
“Let’s be clear: We are in the Kyoto Protocol and working with our UN partners to find a way for Canada to implement a plan…”
Ambrose didn’t last long, as she continually embarrassed Canada on the international stage and the Conservatives at home with inconsistent messaging. It doesn’t seem many Conservative Environment Ministers do. John Baird came next.
25 June 2007, Environment Minister John Baird doublespoke his way around effecting any real Canadian measures countering climate change. In reference to a law that was passed, which required Canada to respect its commitments in the Kyoto Protocol Baird said
“We’ll respect and won’t be dismissive of an act that Parliament passed, we’ll file the papers accordingly, but we’ve got a very significant plan that’s part of a growing international consensus on reducing greenhouse gases.”
However, the Conservatives’ plan was widely panned by everyone from lawyers examining how its language worked to environmental scientists reviewing how it could work. Years later it turns out the Conservative plans either never materialized or proved so ineffective that they failed to respect Canada’s obligations under Kyoto.
23 November 2007, the Financial Post reported that Harper was the last man standing, so-to-speak, at a summit of the 53 commonwealth countries. He was still pushing against any binding targets for reducing emissions.
23 September 2009, perhaps the most blatant symbol of Conservative inaction on the environment: rather than attend a special UN climate summit in New York to prepare for the upcoming Copenhagen meeting, Stephen Harper chose to visit a doughnut chain. Yes, he trumpeted Tim Horton’s return instead of participating in the force of leaders that were building momentum to global action on the environment. At least the latest environment minister, Jim Prentice, went. But with the conservatives record of Environment Ministers being almost as laughable as its record with the environment, one wonders how much weight that actually carried. No, actually no need to wonder.
The Conservatives continued disregard for Canadian law, international obligations, and environmental respect ought to be called under serious question.
