Ecology vs. Economy The Kyoto Accord and the change of Canada’s international image between 2002 and 2012 (original) (raw)

Canadian Circumstances: The Evolution of Canada's Climate Change Policy

Energy & Environment, 2001

A tracing and analysis of Canadian climate change policies and international negotiation positions over the past two decades reveals more than the complexity involved in the subject itself. Indeed, analysis suggests that “national circumstances” have consistently been the primary driver of Canada's climate change policy. These circumstances include a decentralized national policy system that necessitates broad governmental and stakeholder participation; a strong economic reliance on natural and energy-intensive resources and exports; a national sense of belonging to the land; and a tradition of leadership and brokering in international affairs. Canada's policies have been, and will continue to be, primarily driven by these national circumstances as negotiations and implementation issues around the Kyoto Protocol further evolve.

Weathering the Political and Environmental Climate of the Kyoto Protocol SIPP The Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy

This paper is a collaborative effort among scholars at SIPP and the University of Regina that examines various aspects of the Kyoto Protocol. It begins with an examination not only of the science of the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, but also of the complex world between science and public policy: How do policy-makers weigh the various scientific arguments? This paper moves from that conundrum to examining the impact of a changing climate on Saskatchewan with its delicate prairie ecosystems, suggesting, for instance, that one way to deal with greenhouse gases is to plant large numbers of trees. Not surprisingly, the debate over the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 focused largely on the physical impacts of climate change as well as the economic implications of reducing greenhouse gas emission. Yet, as the next section of this policy paper argues, both climate change and the Kyoto Protocol have important human health implications. After reviewing what we kn...

Geopolitics, Ecology and Stephen Harper's Reinvention of Canada

The election of the Conservative Party to power in 2006 brought with it a vision of the world that was much more competitive than previous Liberal or much earlier conservative visions. Key to all this, and the focus of this paper, is an attempt to reinvent Canada as a player in a world of competitive geopolitics rather than as a good citizen in a shared biosphere. Foreign and domestic policy have been shaped by this new view, leading to the abrogation of the Kyoto protocol and given the identification of Canada as an energy superpower and oil exporter, substantial attacks by the government on environmental science and regulatory processes apparently because these might obstruct resource company projects. What is being sustained in this process is a vision of Canada antithetical to what in most parts of the world would be considered sustainable.

Following protocol : the political geography of climate change policymaking in Canada

2014

Canada is a country often painted as a unifying power and an honest broker in world affairs. She has a respected history within the United Nations and a tradition of championing international norms, especially to curtail dangerous actions amongst the community of nations. From NAFTA to peacekeeping missions, she has carved a respected niche in global politics, perhaps fairer than her domestic situation warrants. Recent economic and environmental problems challenge this legacy of international cooperation and the rule of law with poor implementation of key international treaties. Environmental problems, in particular, have not translated into robust environmental policies even though Canadian identity is intrinsically woven with the concepts of nature and stewardship. The issue of climate change is a case in point: Canada was one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of the international climate change regime, and simultaneously, one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters per capita. The government signed the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with a commitment to lower emissions by 6% of 1990 levels; yet emissions rose by 19% by the end of the commitment period. The country appears to suffer from a Jekyll and Hyde syndrome: defending international norms and the rule of law whilst at the same time ignoring the very treaties she fought to create. This thesis explores how the federal Canadian government shifted from being an international leader to a laggard in the Kyoto Protocol; and in doing so it will explain the socioeconomic and political forces that shaped Canada's Kyoto strategy. A grounded theory research design was used, combining key informant interviews, policy document analysis, and participant observation. The case study raises important questions for a country such as Canada with lessons for climate politics both within the country and other federalist countries.

Canadian Climate Change Policy from a Climate Ethics Perspective

During the Harper years, Canada's international reputation suffered from a perception that the country strongly privileges oil and gas profits over the integrity of the global climate. While a change of tone has been noted with the new Trudeau government, the cautious and incremental approach to carbon pricing coupled by the decision to approve major new fossil fuel infrastructure raises questions about how responsible a global actor Canada really is. Canada's 150th anniversary provides an opportunity to consider questions about Canada's role in confronting serious global issues, as well as the apparent disjuncture between Canada's history as a natural resource exporter and the steps needed to build a low carbon future. At the same time, the commercial and political imperatives driving major energy infrastructure projects (particularly fossil fuel projects) stand at odds with the Trudeau government's commitment to improving relations between Canadian governments and aboriginal peoples. In particular, they clash with the principle of free, prior, and informed consent which Canada has agreed to implement via the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The question of how much fossil fuel infrastructure to build and where is linked to deep enduring themes in Canadian politics, from national unity and federalism to Canada's role on the global stage and the place of indigenous peoples within Canada. At a minimum, adjudicating between these competing claims raises challenges for the present federal and provincial governments. Quite possibly, it also reveals a fundamental incoherence in Justin Trudeau's overall policy agenda.