Preamble

Recognizing that

Canadians have a deep pride in their natural environment, and in being responsible stewards of their land,

Canada is committed to the principle of environmentally sustainable development,

a healthy economy and a healthy society depend on a healthy environment,

Canadians want to take responsibility for their environmental problems, and not pass those problems on to future generations,

global climate change is one of the most serious threats facing humanity and Canada, and poses significant risks to our environment, economy, society and human health,

the national science academies of Canada, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States declared the following in June 2005: “The scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking prompt action. It is vital that all nations identify cost-effective steps that they can take now, to contribute to substantial and long-term reduction in net global greenhouse gas emissions.”,

climate change is a global problem that crosses national borders,

Canada has a clear responsibility to take action on climate change, given that our per capita greenhouse gas emissions and wealth are among the highest in the world, and that some of the most severe impacts of climate change are already unfolding in Canada, particularly in the Arctic,

the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”,

Canada has ratified the UNFCCC, which entered into force in 1994,

the Kyoto Protocol requires that Canada reduce its average annual greenhouse gas emissions during the period 2008-2012 to six per cent below their level in 1990,

Canada ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002 following a majority vote in Parliament, and the Protocol entered into force in 2005,

this legislation is intended to meet, in part, Canada’s obligations under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, and

the problem of climate change requires immediate action by all governments in Canada as well as by corporations and individual Canadians,