Federal government announces intention to pursue North American approach to climate change
CBC reported yesterday that newly appointed Minister of International Affairs Lawrence Cannon said that the Canadian government will seek a North American climate change agreement with the new administration of U.S. president-elect Barack Obama. The U.S. federal government is widely expected to implement some form of cap-and-trade regime in the coming years. The cap-and-trade approach would be a significant departure from the Harper government's focus on emissions intensity reduction under former Minister of the Environment John Baird.
Minister Cannon said that he expects that newly-appointed Minister of the Environment Jim Prentice would be active in the file in the coming weeks. Minister Prentice, who was formerly Minister of Industry, will bring pragmatic experience that theToronto Star describes as a keen understanding of "the links between industry, prosperity and resources." Ministers Cannon and Prentice will also be engaging Stockwell Day in the file in his new role as Minister of International Trade.
The prospect of an integrated North American greenhouse gas regime is both promissing and daunting. It holds the promise of being a huge market that will create correspondingly huge opportunities for forward-thinking businesses. However, the level of coordination and negotiation that will be required to bring the system to fruition is very daunting. Skeptics are already grumbling that by hitching itself with the future plans of Washington, Ottawa has merely given itself an excuse to do nothing in the short term.
The announcement calls into question the long term viability of initiatives at the provincial leval (e.g., Alberta's climate change and emissions management regime) and regional level (such as the Western Climate Initiative). It also begs the question of what the federal government will do with its Turning the Corner plan.