Kyoto report card

Here are some items that should be at the top of the Prime Minister’s Kyoto TO DO list: • Make the promised closure of Ontario’s coal-fired plants part of the business-as-usual assessment and work with the McGuinty government to ensure the electrical needs of Ontarians are met with environmental integrity and environmental sustainability. [...] Nevertheless, Kyoto’s first anniversary and the ascension of the much-awaited Martin government is an appropriate time to review the Chrétien government’s Climate Change Plan for Canada, examining its progress, or lack thereof, and, where appropriate, pointing to changes that will allow us to reach Kyoto targets, while creating a momentum to reach the steeper reduction targets of the next set of c [...] The federal support of rapid expansion of the Athabasca Tar Sands and anticipated quick regulatory approval of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, as described in the 2003 federal budget, are both indicators of the disconnect between Kyoto targets and overall energy priorities. [...] With six-years left to make Canada’s Kyoto targets, the federal government must accelerate legislative initiatives to back up its targets and send a strong signal to industry to do its part.8 Regulation is the surest and most effective means of getting fuel-efficient vehicles on the road, especially in light of the auto-industry's hostility to implementing new fuel efficiency technology. [...] Enshrining the federal government's 25% fuel efficiency target in regulation will force auto-manufacturers to accept the future and adjust their business plans accordingly.10 • The Canadian government should collaborate with US states interested in strengthening the fuel efficiency of their auto-fleets, such as California and New York, in order to bolster the North American market for fuel-efficie