Bill C-377 (Historical)

Climate Change Accountability Act

An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change

This bill was last introduced in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in September 2008.

This bill was previously introduced in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session.

Sponsor

Jack Layton  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Second reading (Senate), as of June 10, 2008
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

The purpose of this enactment is to ensure that
Canada meets its global climate change obligations
under the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change by committing to a long-term
target to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas emissions
to a level that is 80% below the 1990 level by
the year 2050, and by establishing interim targets for the
period 2015 to 2045. It creates an obligation on
the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable
Development to review proposed measures to meet the
targets and submit a report to Parliament.
It also sets out the duties of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Votes

June 4, 2008 Passed That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass.
June 4, 2008 Passed That Bill C-377, An Act to ensure Canada assumes its responsibilities in preventing dangerous climate change, as amended, be concurred in at report stage with further amendments.
June 4, 2008 Passed That Bill C-377 be amended by adding after line 12 on page 9 the following new clause: “NATIONAL ROUND TABLE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY 13.2 (1) Within 180 days after the Minister prepares the target plan under subsection 6(1) or prepares a revised target plan under subsection 6(2), the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established by section 3 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act shall perform the following with respect to the target plan or revised target plan: ( a) undertake research and gather information and analyses on the target plan or revised target plan in the context of sustainable development; and ( b) advise the Minister on issues that are within its purpose, as set out in section 4 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, including the following, to the extent that they are within that purpose: (i) the quality and completeness of the scientific, economic and technological evidence and analyses used to establish each target in the target plan or revised target plan, and (ii) any other matters that the National Round Table considers relevant. (2) The Minister shall ( a) within three days after receiving the advice referred to in paragraph (1)(b): (i) publish it in any manner that the Minister considers appropriate, and (ii) submit it to the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons and the Speakers shall table it in their respective Houses on any of the first three days on which that House is sitting after the day on which the Speaker receives the advice; and ( b) within 10 days after receiving the advice, publish a notice in the Canada Gazette setting out how the advice was published and how a copy of the publication may be obtained.”
June 4, 2008 Passed That Bill C-377 be amended by adding after line 12 on page 9 the following new clause: “13.1 (1) At least once every two years after this Act comes into force, the Commissioner shall prepare a report that includes ( a) an analysis of Canada’s progress in implementing the measures proposed in the statement referred to in subsection 10(2); ( b) an analysis of Canada’s progress in meeting its commitment under section 5 and the interim Canadian greenhouse gas emission targets referred to in section 6; and ( c) any observations and recommendations on any matter that the Commissioner considers relevant. (2) The Commissioner shall publish the report in any manner the Commissioner considers appropriate within the period referred to in subsection (1). (3) The Commissioner shall submit the report to the Speaker of the House of Commons on or before the day it is published, and the Speaker shall table the report in the House on any of the first three days on which that House is sitting after the Speaker receives it.”
June 4, 2008 Passed That Bill C-377, in Clause 13, be amended by replacing lines 28 to 43 on page 8 and lines 1 to 12 on page 9 with the following: “the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy established by section 3 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act shall perform the following with respect to the statement: ( a) undertake research and gather information and analyses on the statement in the context of sustainable development; and ( b) advise the Minister on issues that are within its purpose, as set out in section 4 of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, including the following, to the extent that they are within that purpose: (i) the likelihood that each of the proposed measures will achieve the emission reductions projected in the statement, (ii) the likelihood that the proposed measures will enable Canada to meet its commitment under section 5 and meet the interim Canadian greenhouse gas emission targets referred to in section 6, and (iii) any other matters that the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy considers relevant. (2) The Minister shall ( a) within three days after receiving the advice referred to in paragraph (1)(b): (i) publish it in any manner that the Minister considers appropriate, and (ii) submit it to the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons and the Speakers shall table it in their respective Houses on any of the first three days on which that House is sitting after the day on which the Speaker receives the advice; and ( b) within 10 days after receiving the advice, publish a notice in the Canada Gazette setting out how the advice was published and how a copy of the publication may be obtained.”
June 4, 2008 Passed That Bill C-377, in Clause 2, be amended by adding after line 15 on page 2 the following: ““greenhouse gases” means the following substances, as they appear on the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999: ( a) carbon dioxide, which has the molecular formula CO2; ( b) methane, which has the molecular formula CH4; ( c) nitrous oxide, which has the molecular formula N2O; ( d) hydrofluorocarbons that have the molecular formula CnHxF(2n+2-x) in which 0<n<6; ( e) the following perfluorocarbons: (i) those that have the molecular formula CnF2n+2 in which 0<n<7, and (ii) octafluorocyclobutane, which has the molecular formula C4F8; and ( f) sulphur hexafluoride, which has the molecular formula SF6.”
April 25, 2007 Passed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Dec. 11, 2007

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Jan. 30, 2008

  • Ian Rutherford, Executive Director, Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
  • John Stone, Adjunct Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, As an Individual
  • Andrew Weaver, Professor and Canada Research Chair, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, As an Individual
  • David Sauchyn, Research Professor, Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative, University of Regina, As an Individual

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Feb. 4, 2008

  • Dale Marshall, Analyst, Climate Change Policy, David Suzuki Foundation
  • Kenneth Ogilvie, Executive Director, Pollution Probe
  • Julia Langer, Director, Global Threats, Conservation, World Wildlife Fund Canada

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Feb. 6, 2008

  • Thomas d'Aquino, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Council of Chief Executives
  • Shahrzad Rahbar, Vice-President, Strategy and Operations, Canadian Gas Association
  • David Sawyer, Economist, EnviroEconomics
  • John Dillon, Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs, General Counsel, Canadian Council of Chief Executives

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Feb. 11, 2008

  • Vicki Pollard, Policy Officer, Environment Directorate, Climate Change Strategy and International Negotiation, European Commission
  • Vicki Arroyo, Director, Policy Analysis, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
  • James Hughes, Deputy Director, Climate Change and Energy, Strategy and Public Sector Division, United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • Theresa McClenaghan, Executive Director and Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association
  • Joseph Castrilli, Counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association
  • Peter Hogg, Scholar in Residence, Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP
  • Tamra Thomson, Director, Legislation and Law Reform, Canadian Bar Association
  • Andre Turmel, Secretary, National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section, Canadian Bar Association
  • Stewart Elgie, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Associate Director, Institute of the Environment, As an Individual

Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on Feb. 27, 2008

    Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on March 3, 2008

    Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on March 4, 2008

    Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on March 5, 2008

    Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on March 31, 2008

      Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 1, 2008

      Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 7, 2008

        Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 9, 2008

          Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 14, 2008

            Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 17, 2008

              Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, on April 28, 2008

              • Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Normand Radford
              • Pierre Sadik, Senior Policy Advisor, Sustainability Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation
              • Glen Toner, Professor, Public Policy, Carleton University, As an Individual
              • Warren Newman, Senior General Counsel, Constitutional and Administrative Law Section, Department of Justice