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hatrack

(59,451 posts)
Wed May 27, 2015, 07:57 AM May 2015

Canada's Environment Minister, Staff, Can't Provide Even Basic Numbers For Emissions Cut "Plan"

The federal environment minister and her top officials were unable to provide concrete numbers on Canada's new plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to a parliamentary committee. Leona Aglukkaq's appearance created some sparks at a normally low-key Commons environment committee meeting.

She was grilled on her recent announcement Canada will cut carbon emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. That target has been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as Canada's intended, nationally-determined contribution. It's part of the international effort to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees. Aglukkaq called the targets "fair and ambitious," but didn't say what the 30 per cent reduction actually means in tonnes of carbon pollution that would have to be cut annually.

Liberal MP John McKay went after Aglukkaq's deputy minister, Michael Martin, for the answer. "What is it in terms of megatonnes?" he asked.

"Actually I can't do the math off the top off the top of my head but would happy to provide the number to the committee," said Martin. It clearly took McKay by surprise. "Really?" he asked. "I find it quite remarkable that you should state the target for 2030 of 30 per cent and not know what that is in megatonnes." Martin promised to provide numbers to the committee members at some point later.

EDIT

"In the case of Ontario, I have not received the details of Ontario's plan in terms of their initiatives as to how it translates to actual GHG reductions," said Aglukkaq. But a spokesman for Ontario's environment minister said the sum total of the consultation with his government was being asked to fill out a form detailing its goals. "Demanding that provinces fill out a template form does not constitute sufficient consultation on behalf of the federal government, especially given the severity of the climate change problem," said Lucas Malinowski in an email. "In developing its [intended, nationally-determined contribution], the federal government did not carry out a robust or genuine consultation with the province of Ontario," he added.

EDIT

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/leona-aglukkaq-official-can-t-do-the-math-on-climate-targets-for-mps-1.3088256

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