Canada Seeks Climate Pact With United States
CANADA: November 7, 2008
OTTAWA - Canada's Conservative government is interested in negotiating a
climate change pact with the incoming administration of US President-elect
Barack Obama, which looks set to take a tougher line on the environment than
did President George W. Bush, an official said on Thursday.
Obama's election could cause problems for Ottawa, since he favours tougher
emission cuts than Canada's Conservatives and has expressed alarm over what
he sees as excessive US reliance on "dirty oil" -- much of which comes from
Canada's tar sands.
Concluding a pact could placate Washington by agreeing on tougher emissions
standards while recognizing the importance of the tar sands, located in the
western province of Alberta. Extracting oil from the sands produces huge
amounts of greenhouse gases.
Canada is the largest single supplier of energy to the United States,
accounting for around 9 percent of US oil consumption and 15 percent of US
natural gas consumption.
The two nations have worked together before on green issues, most notably in
1991, when they signed a landmark agreement to cut acid rain.
"We do want to explore the possibility of a Canada/US agreement similar to
what we did on acid rain in the early 1990s," said a spokesman for
Environment Minister Jim Prentice. He would not give further details.
Obama's targets for emissions cuts are much tougher than those set by
Canada's Conservatives, who -- like Bush -- walked away from the Kyoto
Protocol on climate change.
The energy industry in Canada is immensely influential and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper, who comes from oil-rich Alberta, has long stressed that any
measures designed to clean up the environment should not overly harm the oil
patch.
He said on Thursday that he believed the incoming Obama administration would
adopt tougher green policies "but will do so in a way that balances the
environmental concerns with economic and energy concerns".
ALBERTA WANTS ROLE
The province of Alberta, Canada' biggest oil producer and a supporter of the
Harper government, said on Thursday it will welcome a move to a continental
climate-change accord. However the province's environment minister said
Alberta wants a role in any talks.
"The province is supportive of a North American agreement," Rob Renner, the
environment minister, said in an interview. "But it needs to be a national
initiative and the province needs to be at the table."
Alberta wants to ensure that a climate change pact doesn't disrupt
investment in the province and that its proposals are acknowledged in any
national scheme to cut emissions.
"We would would like to ... ensure there is certainty on the table for
industry," Renner said.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers also welcomed the idea of
harmonized climate change regulations but warned against singling out the
oil sands.
"We want clear and consistent policy that should be across the board and no
discriminatory measures saying only here (the oil sands) and not there (the
United States)," said Greg Stringham, a vice-president at the association.
Greenpeace campaigner Mike Hudema welcomed Obama's victory, saying it said
could spell big changes for the oil sands.
"There is a growing movement to curb dirty oil imports and start building a
clean energy future and it's time our governments get on board," he said in
a statement.
But Harper, speaking to reporters in Toronto, suggested that Washington
would have to balance its desire for more environmental regulations with
Canada's importance as a key energy supplier.
"The United States faces major challenges if you're talking about energy
security and Canada remains the most important and most secure US source of
energy. It's a reality for any president of the United States," he said.
(Additional reporting by Scott Haggett in Calgary and John McCrank in
Toronto) (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Peter Galloway)
Story by David Ljunggren
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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