Debates of June 4th, 2007

The Environment

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, hon. members know that our government has made the decision to act on this issue. We have a concrete plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. We will be happy to discuss our plan with our counterparts from around the world. I want to point out that the G-8 summit will include meetings of the G-8+5, the world's largest emitters.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we stay on message by reading the message.

Instead of demonstrating leadership, the government is trying to water down its global action plan.

[Jim Flaherty]

What are you reading? What's that on the piece of paper?

[An hon. member]

I think he's reading, Mr. Speaker.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

Order, please. I do not have anything to read at the moment, but this is question period. We will proceed with the question from the hon. member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, instead of pressing for a global action plan, the government is watering down its commitments. It is not pushing for a long term approach; it is pushing for an approach outside of the Kyoto framework.

What I want to know is whether the government will stand up and commit to Chancellor Merkel's plan for long term action on global climate change.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, we are very much committed to taking action on greenhouse gases. We are doing this notwithstanding having to dig ourselves out of a deep hole, after many years of neglect.

In fact, today there was a statement, a joint declaration, an EU declaration, with Chancellor Merkel, who is president of the EU. I would like to read from it because we did indicate that, together with the EU, we are convinced that tackling climate change and ensuring clean, secure and affordable supplies of energy are central interlinked global challenges:

Addressing these issues requires urgent, sustained global action and an integrated policy approach, using a wide range of regionally, nationally or internationally defined policy tools and measures.

That is what we are doing. We are working together with them.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said today that the government was going to adopt intensity targets. Such targets allow pollution to gradually increase. Only a weak leader would propose such a defeatist strategy to the G-8.

Why is the Prime Minister advocating growing emissions? Why is Canada giving up on this global challenge?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, if there were any attitude of defeat or failure, it was under the previous government that simply did not take action. We developed a plan.

I would add that together with the EU, again in our joint declaration today, the Prime Minister and Chancellor Merkel said the following:

We will also work together and with other nations to deliver results in our global efforts to confront climate change through the upcoming G8 Summit in Heiligendamm and our numerous multilateral partnerships.

The targets that have been articulated by Angela Merkel of 60% to 70% reductions are exactly the same, in effect, as our targets over the long term to 2050.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, instead of leading a race to the top of successful global action on climate change, Canada's Prime Minister leads a race to the bottom. Today he actually called for a global move to intensity targets, and not a single group supports him.

The Deutsche Bank says that the Conservatives' weak targets will not be achieved and that our emissions will continue to rise until at least 2020.

Having failed completely at home, why does the Prime Minister insist on doing George Bush's bidding by fighting to weaken the G-8's response to climate change?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right. Canada was at the bottom of the G-8. Of all the serious world economies, in terms of our record on greenhouse gases, it was the worst in the developed world at the end of the Liberal government. That made it difficult for us to assume leadership.

However, we are assuming leadership because of our plan to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fact that we have been able to turn this around is putting Canada in the position where we once again can take leadership on the world stage and serve as a bridge to those big emitters that in the past have resisted participating in the commitment to reduce greenhouse gases.

This is what we have to do. We have to bring in China, India, the United States. We are well-positioned—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

The hon. member for Ottawa South.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are learning once again that the Prime Minister has absolutely no intention of reducing greenhouse gas emissions before 2050. We are reminded of the plan his last environment minister came up with.

What is more, Canada has no plan to attack the problem before 2015, even though emissions are expected to increase indefinitely. Even the Minister of the Environment has admitted that his plan is a draft that needs a lot of work and negotiation.

Why is the Prime Minister not showing initiative instead of deceiving the world on the international stage?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is in fact exactly wrong. We are doing exactly that. We are promoting significant efforts to broaden the commitment on climate change.

In terms of our plan, for the first time, Canada now has a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. This is the first time there will be actual reductions in greenhouse gases in our history. It is only because the plan was developed under this government that we have the credibility to serve as a broker on the world stage today and bring those other reluctant countries, which have not participated in reducing greenhouse gases, to the table to make the same kind of commitment.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in a few days, the Prime Minister will attend the G-8 summit in Germany, where he will present his so-called green plan. However, in a speech he gave today to the German-Canadian Business Club, the Prime Minister claimed that it was impossible for Canada to comply with the Kyoto accord without crippling the economy.

How can the Prime Minister claim that his plan is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions when he is refusing to attack major emitters like the oil companies for economic reasons?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we are taking action to reduce greenhouse gases. Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. In order for our efforts to be effective, all the major emitting countries, including the United States, China and India, must get on board.

We are not waiting; we are taking action. Canada is playing a leadership role by taking real steps at home, thanks to our EcoAction plan, which includes the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in that same speech, the Prime Minister also underlined the importance of an international consensus on post-Kyoto. He even held up his plan as a model for other countries.

What sort of credibility does the Prime Minister think he has with the international community, when his plan is based on intensity targets, not absolute targets, which are what the European Union wants?

We can reduce pollution by 10% per barrel of oil, but does the government realize that by producing five million barrels instead of one million, we are increasing pollution?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, President Merkel said today that Canada is respected on the international stage and by the European Union. I would like to read an excerpt from the joint declaration made by President Merkel of the European Union and Canada: “the EU and Canada underline the need for gradually reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Canada is committed to a 70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2006.”

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the government wants to be credible with its green plan, it must go back to the drawing board. A real greenhouse gas plan should contain three things: absolute reduction targets, a carbon exchange and a territorial approach. This is the approach adopted by the European Union.

Since none of these things is in the Minister of the Environment's green plan, is this not Canada's real failure in the fight against climate change?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, all the things the hon. member mentioned are in our country's plan.

We have an absolute reduction plan in greenhouse gases: 20% in 2020. We have a provision for trading, including the North American air shed.

We are doing the things that are indicated and that is why I think Angela Merkel said today, “We've had a very fruitful discussion here today. I am very happy to hear the plans of the Canadian government”. Other countries are pleased to see Canada taking action for a change on the environment.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister tried to get Angela Merkel to have the G-8 partners reduce his Kyoto obligations. He said, and I quote:

We need a plan that takes into account both different starting points and different national circumstances.

Is the Prime Minister's request not ironic, since we know that in creating its green plan, the government has refused to take into account the specific past efforts of Quebec and the manufacturing sector to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, we have created a plan that works. Now, the great challenge for Canada and the world is to get the other countries, the major emitting countries, to commit to fighting greenhouse gases and climate change.

That is why we are now reaching out to extend the commitment. It is not a matter of pure ideology to which one must subscribe or not. We have to get other countries involved, like China, India and Russia, if we want to see serious benefits for the environment.

That means taking action to encourage them and engage them, and make it possible for them to make the same kind of commitment Canada has made to combat climate change.

[Jack Layton, NDP, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government's plan constitutes a step backward. Environmentalists and the international community were not impressed by the Prime Minister's speech at the G-8 summit, and rightly so. The plan does not respect the Kyoto protocol, nor does it respect this Parliament.

Why is the Prime Minister trying to sell a bogus product to international communities? We have a solution in the form of Bill C-30 on climate change. Why is the Prime Minister abandoning the Kyoto protocol and reneging on a commitment made by Canada?

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, this is a curious question.

There has been no speech yet at the G-8 by the Prime Minister because it does not start until Wednesday. His address today in Germany was in advance of the summit, but there is no doubt that we are taking action on the environment and are committed to doing that.

The hon. members know that we have a concrete plan for the permanent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2020.