Canada's climate plan tougher than Europe's: Harper

PARIS -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has raised eyebrows by saying Canada's short-term targets for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions are more ambitious than those imposed by the European Union, widely considered the leader in the developed world at tackling climate change.

As the Group of Eight summit approaches, he has been selling Canada's green plan hard and his diplomatic overtures have so far been politely received.

On Monday, he told German business leaders Canada's plan could be used as a model for other growing or developing countries. Yesterday, he took his pitch one step farther on a visit to Paris for his first meeting with Nicolas Sarkozy, the new French President.

"Canada has an ambitious plan for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. In fact, over the next 13 years, our targets are more ambitious than those of the European Union," Mr. Harper said at a news conference with Franois Fillon, the French Prime Minister.

But at least one environmentalist says Mr. Harper's statement is only true if Canada discounts a sharp rise in the country's emissions since 1990.

Matthew Bramley, director of climate change at the Pembina Institute, called his remark "misleading and, frankly, irresponsible."

"It is no doubt difficult for the present government to accept responsibility for the consequences of the inaction of its predecessors, but there is a broader national responsibility that must be shouldered here," he said in an e-mail.

In March, the European Union agreed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020.

Canada has also pledged to cut emissions by 20% by 2020, but uses a base year of 2006, rather than the 1990 baseline mandated by the Kyoto protocol, which Canada and 172 other countries have ratified.

Mr. Harper said this week Canada could not meet its obligations without crippling the economy.

Canada's targets could indeed produce a greater reduction in emissions over the next 13 years than in Europe if one uses a more current base year, said Mr. Bramley. In doing so, Canada would effectively be shirking its poor record since 1990.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said this week she was "not happy" Canada had walked away from the Kyoto accord. She has been pushing for G8 leaders to sign a climate-change declaration that sets a tough global target for cutting emissions by mid-century, but the U.S. has resisted specific targets and timelines.

Canada has agreed to Ms. Merkel's long-term target, but at an EU-Canada summit on Monday, the EU noted developed countries should be expected to do more than Canada is doing to reach that goal.

If French leaders were disappointed in Canada's performance, they weren't showing it yesterday.

France has threatened to slap an import tax on countries that do not obey the Kyoto protocol.

Mr. Sarkozy, who was elected last month on a platform of reforming France's welfare state, has called climate change his "first battle."

But Mr. Fillon said yesterday the penalty is not "primarily aimed" at Canada, but rather countries that put European industries subject to emissions cap at a disadvantage.

"Free competition cannot mean different rules in different jurisdictions. We can't ask European industries to produce under constraints that other countries won't impose. Again, Canada is not the most pertinent country in this regard," he said.

Mr. Harper was also asked to comment on the increasing belligerence of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who said this week that Russia would target Europe with missiles if the United States proceeds with a plan to build a missile-defence system based in Eastern Europe.

"We are convinced that the intentions of NATO are altogether clear," Mr. Harper said, echoing the views of George W. Bush, the U.S. President.

There's no reason to interpret these actions as a threat to Russia."

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said Canada and France are "on the same page" when it comes to the war in Afghanistan. Both countries are committed to the mission, even though neither views its presence there as permanent.

Mr. Sarkozy has said French troops will not be deployed in Afghanistan "forever," but has not set a withdrawal date.