Advertisement

Canada to face pressure after US-China climate deal

Gas emissions
Smoke pours from the stacks at the Portlands Energy Centre in Toronto, January 15, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

OTTAWA – Canadian policy-makers can expect to come under intense pressure now that the United States and China have reached a ground-breaking agreement on curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Conservative government in Ottawa has long argued that curbing Canada’s relatively paltry emissions on the global scale was not a priority when major emitters were unwilling to act.

READ MORE: Canada announces it will follow U.S. lead on climate change

Regulation of the oil and gas sector has been promised – and delayed – for years, even as the country falls well behind on its international commitment to curb emissions 17 per cent below 2005 levels by the year 2020.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The surprise announcement from U.S. President Barack Obama in Beijing commits Canada’s dominant trading partner to even deeper emissions cuts by 2025.

Story continues below advertisement

WATCH: Liberal leader Justin Trudeau reacts to the U.S.-China climate deal

David McLaughlin, the former head of the federal Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, says the bedrock of federal climate policy has always been alignment with Washington – but Canada is now clearly falling behind.

Environmental groups say Canada has run out of excuses for its inaction on emissions, while China’s new commitment to renewable energy means Canada could miss out on a global economic boom in clean technology.

Sponsored content

AdChoices