CANADA seems set to join the US in reneging on the Kyoto Protocol on climate change unless it gets key concessions, which the European Union adamantly opposes.
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chr茅tien told a meeting of EU ministers in Madrid last week that he was 鈥渘ot in a position to ratify until some elements are clarified鈥�. These elements are believed to be Canada鈥檚 demand to gain credits under the protocol for exporting hydroelectric power and natural gas to the US.
Canada claims that the gas will replace coal in US power stations. Because burning gas produces less carbon dioxide than burning coal, that would reduce the US鈥檚 contribution to global warming, it says.
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Just six months ago, the Canadian government joined every industrialised nation bar the US in signing up to the protocol, which includes detailed provisions covering carbon credits. But it has since come under heavy pressure from its energy industry not to ratify the deal in parliament.
The protocol requires Canada to cut its emissions to 6 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010. This is a tall order, since its emissions in 2000 were 20 per cent up on 1990 levels. Last year it won a controversial concession from other signatories to allow it to count CO2 soaked up by its huge forests towards the target. That could be worth 5 per cent of emissions.
But the EU is adamantly opposed to further concessions. An aide to environment commissioner Margot Wallstr枚m told reporters: 鈥淲e are totally fed up with the games the Canadians are playing.鈥�