E. Canadian premiers urged to take lesson from U.S. to cut greenhouse gases

BRUDENELL, Prince Edward Island – A coalition of environmental groups says Eastern Canadian provinces are lagging behind the New England states in controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

Canadian and U.S. environmentalists were on Prince Edward Island on Monday to pressure Eastern Canadian premiers and New England governors to take concrete action to stop climate change.

The premiers and governors from northeastern North America are holding their annual retreat at a golf resort on Prince Edward Island. The environment and energy top their agenda.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci is among those attending.

It has been six years since the state and provincial leaders agreed to ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions.

Time is running out for their first target – the region is supposed to be at 1990 emission levels by 2010.

The states and provinces are supposed to be 10 percent below those 1990 levels by 2020.

So far, emission levels in the region remain on the rise.

“The political opportunity is huge right now to take the kind of bold action we need if we are to achieve these targets and play our role in stopping global warming,” said David Coon of the New Brunswick Conservation Council, one of the environmental groups attending the two-day premiers and governors meeting.

Coon and the other environmentalists said New England is setting the pace for change with its regional cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

Under the cap-and-trade system, the players set a percentage-based emissions cap that they must meet together. If one of the players produces emissions below the cap, it may sell its “excess” emissions to another player that produces more than the cap allows.

Coon said that is the kind of system needed in Eastern Canada.

“What has been missing here is a commitment to regulation of industrial emissions,” he said.

“This is key. If the provinces are going to achieve their targets, they absolutely have to regulate emissions from industry.”

Provinces like New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have announced targets but appear reluctant to take on big industry.

New Brunswick has said it will leave regulations to the federal government.

Michael Stoddard of the U.S.-based Environment Northeast group said progress is being made in other areas.

The premiers and governors are expected to announce a regional agreement to curb vehicle tailpipe emissions.

As well, it’s expected municipal, provincial and state governments will be urged to adopt tough energy standards in the construction and maintenance of public buildings.

“We see real progress being made where they’re taking steps to make best practices mandatory,” Stoddard said.

Premier Rodney MacDonald of Nova Scotia said he will be pushing for controls on tailpipe emissions.

“The New England governors and Eastern Canadian premiers represent about 30 million people, which means a common standard would have significant influence with the auto industry,” MacDonald said in a news release.

“Consequently, that is something Nova Scotia will push very hard at the meeting.”

MacDonald said he also plans to brief his Canadian counterparts on his efforts to make the federal government honor the 2005 Atlantic Accord, which he said was gutted by the recent federal budget.

The five Canadian provinces represented at the meeting are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec. The six New England states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.