Canada Signs Kyoto Ratification After Debate

"With this signature, we are doing the right thing for Canada, for the global environment and for future generations," said Chretien, acknowledging it will require adjustments in Canada.

Environment Minister David Anderson said that Canada had become the 99th signatory of the protocol, which requires reductions in greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, but that it would not take effect until Russia ratifies it.

The agreement requires Canada to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases, blamed for global warming, by 6 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. That will require a major shift, since emissions are now roughly one-fifth above 1990 levels.

"We will be watching this government at every budget to examine how much it wastes chasing this potential economic disaster," said Bob Mills of the opposition Canadian Alliance.

The Alliance, based in oil-rich Alberta, has questioned the science lying behind Kyoto and has worried that Canadian firms would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage with U.S. firms, which will not have to meet any reduction targets.

Oil companies have said they might delay major investments in Canada unless they got more clarity on the costs, and other businesses have also warned of economic damage.

But Chretien said it was worth the cost.

"Things will have to change, but climate change is an extremely important problem, and the Canadian people wanted us to do the right thing. That's what we're doing today," he said.

The Canadian government has provided a loose plan for achieving about three-quarters of its cuts, but is hoping to get credit for the remaining quarter by selling cleaner energy such as natural gas to the United States and elsewhere. However, Europe has flatly rejected that idea.