Category Archives: Climate Action Policy

How to make real climate policy without destroying the Canadian federation: Insightful new CD Howe report on regional equity concerns of Canadian climate policies

Posted on December 14, 2010 by admin

George Hoberg and Stephanie Taylor December 14, 2010 With the Cancun UN meetings now completed, attention is turning back to national governments and whether key players are willing to solidify or increase their commitments to greenhouse gas mitigation made in … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Action Policy | 2 Comments

Abrogation and Distortion in Canadian Climate Policy: Commentary on Prentice’s Copenhagen Commitment Speech

Posted on February 3, 2010 by admin

George Hoberg February 4, 2010 On January 30, Canada’s Minister of Environment, Jim Prentice, finally announced the country’s commitment to greenhouse gas mitigation under the Copenhagen Accord. Its target for 2020 is a 17 percent reduction below 2005 levels. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Action Policy, Oil Sands | 2 Comments

Addressing the Regional Equity Implications of Climate Policy in Canada

Posted on January 12, 2010 by admin

George Hoberg and Stephanie Taylor January 12, 2010 (with February 2, 2010 updates)   Canada has committed to reduce greenhouse gases by 20% below 2006 levels by 2020. The federal government has yet to release any credible plan for meeting … Continue reading →

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Should Scientists be Advocates? The Case of Dr. James Hansen

Posted on November 9, 2009 by admin

Andrea Rivers and George Hoberg November 9, 2009   The appropriate relationship between science and politics has been a persistent challenge for modern governance. Sound policymaking relies on mobilizing expertise, so scientists are frequently called upon to become involved in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Action Policy | 1 Comment

Climate policy cost report casts light on the coming reckoning for the Canadian federation

Posted on October 30, 2009 by admin

  George Hoberg and Stephanie Taylor October 30, 2009 This week the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation jointly released a report that finds that Canada can meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target – and even more stringent … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Action Policy | 5 Comments

The Political Dilemma of Climate Action: a Four-Part Overview

Posted on July 21, 2009 by admin

George Hoberg Addressing the monumental challenge of climate change requires the best available science, but it also demands concerted, coordinated, and courageous political action by policy makers at all levels of government. This post outlines the political challenge of climate … Continue reading →

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The “California Effect” on Canadian Energy and Climate Policies

Posted on July 6, 2009 by admin

George Hoberg and Gordon McCullough Canada is increasingly recognized as a laggard on policies designed to mitigate climate change. Recently, the Canadian government has been scrambling to respond to regulatory initiatives emanating from south of the border. The actions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Action Policy, Oil Sands | 1 Comment

Early Analyses of the House Passage of Climate-Energy (Waxman-Markey) Bill

Posted on June 27, 2009 by admin

George Hoberg   On the evening of June 26, 2009, the US House of Representatives took the historical step of passing the first bill that would directly control greenhouse gases, by a thin margin of 219 to 212, with 8 … Continue reading →

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Can the Oil Sands be Made Environmentally Sustainable?

Posted on June 23, 2009 by admin

George Hoberg and Gordon McCullough Can the oil sands be made environmentally sustainable? Environmentalists have labeled the oil sands a source of “dirty oil” because of their considerable environmental impacts on land, water, and air. Internationally, greenhouse gas emissions have … Continue reading →

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It’s time to rally around cap and trade

Posted on May 19, 2009 by admin

Continuing to push the carbon tax is limiting the expansion of the political coalition supporting the urgent climate action we need, and will keep us out of step with emerging policies in jurisdictions with which we need to cooperate. We need to coalesce around a coordinated cap-and-trade framework, and dedicate our energy to designing and implementing an effective, efficient, and equitable policy. Continue reading →

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