A rchive Date
[ 05-09-2002 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWS/kyoto_sep4-cp.html
Nfld. and Labrador join Kyoto fight
By MICHAEL MACDONALD-- Canadian Press
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CP) - Newfoundland and Labrador will join Alberta in opposing federal ratification of the Kyoto climate change treaty, Premier Roger Grimes said Wednesday.
Grimes said his province, which is rapidly becoming one of Canada's biggest energy producers, could pay a high price in terms of jobs and economic opportunities if the pact is ratified as is.
The premier said he's seen the results of preliminary federal studies that suggest Canada's major energy-producing provinces - Alberta, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador - would suffer significant economic damage under the terms of the Kyoto accord.
"We all want to commit to a cleaner environment, to doing what's right," Grimes told reporters at the provincial legislature. "But in the meantime we don't want to do it in a manner that destroys the fundamental economies of three provinces."
On Tuesday, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said his government will fight against federal ratification, but it was unclear whether the province would resort to a legal or constitutional challenge.
In the meantime, Alberta will reach out to business leaders and other provinces to spread the word that Kyoto is too risky for Canada, Klein said.
Grimes said he was surprised by Prime Minister Jean Chretien's decision to forge ahead with ratification in Parliament. The premier said he expected the federal leader to consult with the provinces before making such a move.
"I'm really at a loss as to what he means when he says we're going to sign on to the Kyoto accord," Grimes said, suggesting it remains unclear whether the Canadian government is open to modifying the accord after it's ratified.
"There's still too many questions. ... We don't have the information yet."
Chretien stunned observers at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa on Monday when he announced his commitment to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
The 1997 accord calls on industrialized countries to cut carbon-dioxide emissions believed to cause global warming.
Environmentalists say the provinces have had plenty of time to prepare for the changes called for in the accord. Raising more questions now is just a stalling tactic, they say.
The document requires industrialized countries to reduce emissions to 1990 levels. But the United States, the world's worst polluter, says it will not ratify the pact because the U.S. economy would be crippled by $400 billion US in added costs and the loss of 4.9 million jobs.
"I can't understand exactly how it's going to work in a free-trade environment in North America if the other partners in North America aren't going to sign on," Grimes said, echoing complaints made by Alberta's industrial and energy sectors.
Nova Scotia Energy Minister Gordon Balser is also worried about how Kyoto will affect consumers, the province's coal-fired electricity system, and its growing natural gas industry.
Balser said Tuesday that Nova Scotia wants to review the nuts and bolts of Ottawa's plan to implement the climate change treaty with other provinces at a meeting in Halifax next month before deciding whether to endorse it.
 World Fact Book (CIA)
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