Discuss Canada's participation in the Kyoto Protocol.Do you think that the Canadian government should meet its international obligations under Kyoto,even at the possible expense of economic growth and stability? Why or why not?

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The Answer is Climate change took centre stage in 1997 when countries gathered in Kyoto,Japan,to sign the Kyoto Protocol.The protocol's objective was (and still is)to cut greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to prevent climate change.It sought to have countries reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases)by around 5 percent from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.Countries that committed to these terms were expected to comply and to measure their emissions regularly.Canada was one of the original signatories (signing on April 29,1998),but it did not ratify the treaty until December 17,2002.In Canada,the Kyoto Protocol was ratified by a Liberal government,and since taking office the Conservative government has all but forgotten Canada's Kyoto commitments,instead targeting a "made in Canada" solution to greenhouse gases.In April 2007,the federal government laid out its plan to reach Kyoto targets by 2020 or 2025-years after the original date set by the protocol.
In June 2008,Canada became the world's first country to be brought to court for failing to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.The lawsuit,filed by the environmental group Friends of the Earth Canada,is the first to attempt to enforce the terms of the protocol.The group claims that the Canadian government has not fulfilled its legal obligations to address greenhouse gas emissions as defined by the protocol.In March 2010,the Supreme Court decided not to hear the case,effectively stopping any further proceedings.
In 2011,in what appeared to be a move designed to prevent Canada from paying fines for failing to meet its international obligations under Kyoto,the Conservative government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol-a decision sharply criticized within Canada and around the world.In the place of the emission targets set by Kyoto the Canadian government has opted to aim for far lower targets that allow Canada to continue to develop its interests in the Alberta oil sands.

Discuss Canada's Participation in the Kyoto Protocol