Canadian Prime Minister takes aim at Charest over Kyoto

OTTAWA, CANADA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is shooting back at his Kyoto critics, including Quebec Premier Jean Charest, saying actions are more important than words on reducing greenhouse gases.

"There's lot of people around the world who have bold and ambitious statements about limiting greenhouse gases, but I am more interested to see what actual effective actions are undertaken," Mr. Harper said.

He was responding to comments from Mr. Charest, his closest provincial ally, who is putting pressure on Ottawa to respect its commitment to fight global warming.

Mr. Charest is also asking Ottawa for $328-million to help fund a provincial battle plan.

Mr. Charest's Liberal government received unanimous support from the National Assembly for a motion urging Ottawa to meet its commitment under the Kyoto Protocol. The motion also called on Ottawa to show it will abide by its international commitment to reduce greenhouse gases "by financially contributing to the implementation of the Quebec Action Plan on Climate Change."

Manitoba Premier Gary Doer said he has no intention of changing the province's commitment to its Kyoto targets, even if the federal government backs out of the agreement.

"I support Kyoto," Mr. Doer said. "We supported Kyoto before the Liberal government committed to it. We supported it after they committed to it and we support it now."

Mr. Doer said Manitoba will exceed the accord's emissions targets.

The Prime Minister said he supports all provincial efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

"We certainly encourage any provincial government to do whatever they can to limit the emission of greenhouse gases. This is an objective that we share," Mr. Harper told reporters after a speech yesterday to the Chamber of Commerce in London, Ont.

The Prime Minister, who has said repeatedly that the Kyoto emissions-reduction targets are unachievable, noted the recent federal budget included measures to encourage the use of public transit and renewable fuels.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jack Layton said he was calling provincial capitals, urging other premiers to join Mr. Charest's call for Canada to stay within Kyoto and meet its commitments.

International climate-change negotiations focused on Kyoto's second phase are set to wrap up today in Bonn, Germany, and Mr. Layton said he was hopeful that some premiers would join him in urging Mr. Harper to intervene.

Quebec Environment Minister Claude Béchard said if Ottawa agrees to fund Quebec's emission-reduction targets, other provinces will demand the same treatment. "The first step is for them to give us the money. The second step will be for other provinces to demand equivalent amounts. That will make it difficult for Ottawa to reject Kyoto," Mr. Béchard told reporters recently.

Mr. Charest said Tuesday that Quebec would meet its Kyoto targets, regardless of whether Ottawa pulls out of the agreement.

The Quebec government said that with the implementation of its action plan, which it intends to release this summer, it will likely be on target to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in 2015 by 10 per cent from 1990 levels. Mr. Béchard said this will require considerable effort from all sectors of the economy.

"We are partially disappointed with the federal government's retreat on Kyoto, because we have been working on this for 10, 15 years. Many Quebec companies did the efforts to reduce emissions, and now it's as if we were being told that it was all for nothing," Mr. Béchard said.

Mr. Layton said he was encouraged by Mr. Charest's words and actions. Mr. Layton said he spoke with Mr. Charest first and then other premiers.

"I believe that some of them will be calling (Mr. Harper). I don't want to put words in their mouths. There certainly was, I think, an understanding of the importance of the issue."