by Worldchanging Canada local blogger, Simon Donner: It is easy to be pessimistic about climate change policy in Canada. One saving grace of the federal impotency is that it has spurred the provinces to action. Following the US example, where many states have reacted to federal action by enacting their own emissions reductions plans (there’s even a map!), the provinces are claiming the mantle of leadership in Canada. It has the feeling of a “grassroots”, or at least a moderate-sized shrub, movement. Quebec was the first province to set an emissions target — a 1.5% reduction in GHG emissions below 1990 levels by 2012 — which the government plans to achieve through an expansion of wind energy, hydropower, public transit and energy efficiency. Since then, almost every province, save Alberta and Saskatchewan, has advanced some form of a plan to reduce GHG emissions. The recent decisions by British Columbia, the source of 9% of Canada’s GHG emissions (2005 data), have drawn the most attention. In this year’s Speech from the Throne, the province announced the most aggressive short- and long-term emissions targets (10% below 1990 levels by 2020, a 33% drop) of any jurisdiction in North America. The province plans… (more)
(Posted by WorldChanging Team in Climate Change at 12:56 PM)