Business Leaders Propose Ambitious "Made-in-Canada" Strategy on Climate Change

June 21, 2002

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) today called for an innovative and ambitious made-in-Canada strategy to deal with the critical issue of global climate change.

“Canadian business has been taking significant actions to deal with greenhouse gas emissions and wants to be an important partner in a national strategy to move the goalposts further,” said CCCE President and Chief Executive Thomas d’Aquino. “We believe that such a strategy can win the clear support of Canadians only if it both delivers demonstrable improvements in the environment and enhances Canada’s prosperity.”

He emphasized that the national consultations launched this month by the federal government must not degenerate into a battle between energy producing and energy consuming regions of Canada, nor would it be helpful to have the consultations limit the advance of a full range of constructive ideas. “Any plan with a realistic prospect of addressing the global climate change challenge will have major implications for consumers, employment and investment throughout Canada. A climate change strategy will not succeed until and unless Canadians understand and agree to the fundamental changes that would be required in the way they live and work.”

Mr. d’Aquino said the recent federal discussion paper, entitled Canada’s Contribution to Addressing Climate Change, contains a range of initiatives that could help to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are blamed for climate change. “Where we part company with the government is on the idea that these measures somehow add up to an achievable plan that makes the Kyoto Protocol target realistic.”

As its initial contribution to the consultation process, the CCCE today released a paper entitled The Kyoto Protocol Revisited: A responsible and dynamic alternative for Canada. It lays out an eight-point framework for action that would enable Canada to make a meaningful contribution to addressing both the long-term global challenge of climate change and more immediate global priorities such as the alleviation of poverty, the provision of clean water and the improvement of health care in developing countries around the world.

“Climate change is a critical global issue and we need to harness our best minds and resources aimed at real and measurable action,” said Mr. d’Aquino. “But it is time to move beyond the straightjacket of the Kyoto Protocol towards a more innovative strategy that recognizes Canada’s needs and strengths and that will maximize the effectiveness of our country’s contribution towards environmental enhancement nationally and globally.”

He stressed that the Council’s proposed framework, which is based on six months of internal deliberations, is not yet a comprehensive plan nor is it the only possible approach. He noted that Alberta had already put forward constructive suggestions and expressed the hope that other ideas would come forward in the coming days.

“We are interested in working with other committed partners toward an objective and a strategy that makes sense for the country and the world,” said Mr. d’Aquino. “We are seeking to build on the Council’s leadership efforts over many years in the areas of environment and sustainable development and contribute to our goal of making Canada the best place in the world in which to live, to work, to invest and to grow.”

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives is the premier vehicle for enabling Canadian chief executives to engage in critical public policy issues both in Canada and internationally. The Council’s members head companies that administer in excess of $2.1 trillion in assets, have annual revenues of more than $500 billion and account for a significant majority of Canada’s private sector investment, exports, training and research and development.