Friday, February 24, 2006

Conservatives Embrace Kyoto?

What a difference a week makes. Which Rona to believe?

Environment Minister Rona Ambrose Feb 24:
"There's an action plan that we are going to move on very quickly," Ms. Ambrose said in an interview Friday. "I'm very committed. The prime minister has given me a very strong mandate."

She said the action plan will include an emissions-trading system for large polluters and will try to engage the public in a new way.

"I think we not only have the political will from the prime minister, and from myself and my colleagues, on this issue, we also have the public will on our side."

An emissions-trading system would allow polluters to buy and sell emissions permits either domestically or internationally, so that cuts can be implemented at lower cost

Kyoto signatories are required to submit reports in March showing they have made substantial progress toward their targets. Ms. Ambrose said Canada will submit a report. The new plan will likely be a major component in it.

Environment Minister Rona Ambrose Feb 17:
"There will not be opportunities under this government, unlike the previous government, to purchase hot-air credits and allow Canadian companies to pollute on Canadian soil," she said.

"Any sort of emission trading, whether it's domestic, international, has to have a direct benefit to the Canadian environment."

After meeting Alberta counterpart Guy Boutilier in Edmonton on Thursday, Ambrose spelled out the Tories' opposition to emissions trading, saying she saw no benefit to "shipping hot-air credits overseas."

Partisanship aside, if Ambrose has dramatically changed her position, it represents a positive sign. I remain skeptical, given Ambrose's big oil ties and the Conservatives pitiful environmental plans, outlined in their election blue book. What will she say next week?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ambrose seems to be an expert on hot air.