canada: all articles

As I suggested yesterday, NGOs have reacted positively to the draft agreement on future commitments. But there's a good chance that their mood will darken as the week goes on.

They'd have preferred mention of 2 degrees in the text and stronger language on legally binding targets. They are also keen to see a clear plan for how the negotiations will be conducted.

But my guess is that, as the week goes on, the text is more likely to be diluted than strengthened.

Canada remains under fire here in Bali, where it has laid out eight ‘principles' for a post-2012 climate deal. Most controversial is number 2, which recommends mandatory greenhouse gas targets for developed countries and ‘major industrialized developing countries.'

This is guaranteed to infuriate China (and India too). Which is probably the point. "By being unrealistic in their demands," argues activist Steven Guilbeault, "Canada is trying to create a perfect train wreck here at the summit."

Canada was given a good kicking at today’s Climate Action Network press conference, spicing things up after the desperately dull fare the NGOs served up yesterday.

They accused Canada of reneging on Kyoto, steering away from binding targets, and attempting to rile China and India into derailing progress.

Canada’s performance against its Kyoto targets is indeed lamentable. Its greenhouse gas emissions have risen 25% since 1990. Include land use and forestry, and the news gets worse: a 54% rise. Canada’s Kyoto target was to achieve a 6% cut.