But the fact that they will even go that far is being presented as a sign of progress in a new report. Such are the low expectations surrounding the policies to tackle global warming in the country.
The study, by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a respected, non-partisan environmental think-tank, suggests Canada is on track to cut out 103 megatonnes of greenhouse gases by 2020. That works out to 46 per cent of the emissions reduction goal that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set for the country.
The gap is equal to 120 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, says the report by Dave Sawyer, the institute's climate change director.
“While the emerging package of regulations won't achieve the deep targets the government has aspired to, it does signal that Canada's federal government is finally establishing the policy architecture to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
After the federal environment commissioner warned last month that Ottawa was unable to accurately measure the effects of its climate change programs, Environment Minister Peter Kent said the government was already one quarter of the way to its 2020 pledge. Read the full report here.
Souce: Allan Woods, The Star, Ottawa.
