The Climate Change Accountability Act underwent its third reading and was passed in the Canadian House of Commons on May 5th. All Conservative MP’s voted against the bill, and all other MPs voted in its favour. Bill C-311 calls for legislated GHG reduction targets equivalent to Canada’s Kyoto pledge, being a 25% and 80% cut below 1990 levels by 2020 and 2050, respectively. Canada’s emissions are currently about 30% above 1990 levels.
The gap between Canada’s current reality and the targets described in Bill C-311 has led critics to dismiss the goals as unrealistic, since meeting them would require Canada to slash its emissions almost in half within 10 years. Supporters believe that the legislated goal would at least move Canada in the right direction in the near-term, while committing the country to an internationally responsible and achievable long-term goal. The bill also requires the government to set regulations to ensure the reductions target is met, and demands that the government produce a report every 5 years explaining the government’s progress toward the goals.
The bill still has to make its way through the senate, where it could be voted down or heavily amended. Regardless of Bill C-311’s ultimate success, the support for this bill by all parties except for the Conservatives gives the other parties a legislative history that could hold them to account should the government change following an election. Should another party come to power, it would be difficult for them to backpedal on this commitment without losing some credibility on the environmental file.
By Jeff Beyer, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
