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THE fifth estate: Hot Air
Kyoto: A Chronology> Printer Version
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December 4, 2002
1979
First World Climate Change Conference estimates that a doubling of CO2
will lead to a 1.4-4.5 degree increase in world temperature. (read
more about the Conference)
1983
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study states that because of
global warming "agricultural conditions will be significantly altered,
environmental and economic systems potentially disrupted, and political
institutions stressed.” (visit
the EPA Global Warming site)
1987
The Montreal Protocol, signed by 57 nations, focuses on reduction of greenhouse
gases such as CFCs and leads to almost complete elimination of CFCs by
2000. (read
the Montreal Protocol)
1988
Toronto
Conference on the Changing Atmosphere, one of the world's first major
scientific conferences on climate change, calls it "second only to
global nuclear war" and asks for 20% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2005. Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established by UN. (read
more about the conference)
1990
The IPCC releases its
"First Assessment Report," indicating that human-made greenhouse
gases are increasing the greenhouse effect.
1992
Rio De Janeiro "Earth Summit" held. Industrialized countries
agree to cut CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. American refusal
to make this legally binding forces other nations to make the measure
"voluntary". (read
about the 1992 Earth Summit by CBC's The National)
1995
The First Conference of the Parties (COP-1) takes place in Berlin. Delegates
create a new negotiating process to include greenhouse gas limitation
and reduction targets in an international protocol or treaty (read
documents from the conference)
In Canada,
the National Action Program on Climate Change, developed and accepted
by all federal and provincial/territorial energy and environment ministers,
directs Canada's efforts towards meeting Rio commitment. (Environment
Canada Climate Change)
1997
COP-3 is held in Kyoto, Japan. Following a week and a half of intense
negotiations, parties take the historic step of adopting the Kyoto Protocol.
Under this treaty, most industrialized nations--including Canada--along
with some central European countries agree to legally binding reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions between the years 2008 and 2012--this is the
Kyoto Protocol, with details of implementation to follow. (download
documents related to the Kyoto Protocol from the UN Climate Change
site)
1998
Canada signs Kyoto agreement, declaring that it will develop a process
to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 6% below 1990
levels. (visit
the government of Canada site on Kyoto)
2000
COP-6 meetings in the Netherlands collapse after the U.S. and Europe fail
to find agreement on the question of using emissions trading and carbon
sinks as credits toward meeting emissions targets.
In October,
Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments--except Ontario--approve
the National Implementation Strategy on Climate Change and the First National
Business Plan as steps toward meeting its Kyoto commitments.
2001
In March, U.S. President Bush declares that "Kyoto is dead" and
announces that the United States would not move to ratify the Treaty. (read
about the US reversal by CBC News Online)
International
ministers meet again in mid-July in Bonn, Germany, where they resume negotiating
rules of the Kyoto Protocol. Despite opposition from the U.S., countries
reach an agreement on rules and agree to pursue ratification by 2002.
Jean Chrétien
says Canada will live up to its Kyoto commitments regardless of the U.S.
He says Canada is looking for "modifications" in Kyoto to get
credit for shipping cleaner energy to the U.S. and for good forest-management
practices. (read about Canada's
new plan for Kyoto by CBC News Online)
Chretien
says he's confident Canada will be able to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on
climate change by July next year.
Alberta's
opposition to Kyoto grows stronger. Premier Ralph Klein says Kyoto would
cost Alberta “trillions”. (read a statement
from the government of Alberta)
2002
Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal says he's working to ensure that
Canada gets environmental credits in talks for exporting so-called "clean
energy".
The debate
grows ever more intense--if confusing--for Canadians. The Canadian Manufacturers
and Exporters estimate that 450,000 jobs could be lost if Kyoto is ratified.
An unofficial federal government estimates the cost of Kyoto could be
as much as $15-billion over five years. A study commissioned by two environmental
groups says that far from crippling the economy, cutting greenhouse gases
as called for in the Kyoto protocol would create tens of thousands of
jobs and increase household income. (read more about the costs
of Kyoto by CBC News Online and read The
Cost of Kyoto a CBC National Documentary)
Federal government
concedes that much of the detail of Canada's implementation of Kyoto will
have to be worked out after ratification, but argues that this is an important
first step.
Parliamentary
debate begins in Ottawa, with Prime Minister Chretien pushing to get approval
for Kyoto ratification by the end of the year.
The Kyoto Accord was officially passed on December 16, 2002.
Canada received several qualifications designed to protect Alberta's oil
patch. Read
the news story.
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the
fifth estate: Hot Air
The
Canadian Debate on Kyoto - Kyoto: A Chronology
- The Kyoto Documents - Resources
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