I have, over the years, lost count of the number of times I have seen or heard people say that it doesn’t matter what Canada, or the more-developed world, does to reduce carbon emissions. It is argued that the main global problem is that major emitters such as China, India, Russia and Brazil continue full tilt for economic growth at any carbon-cost. Consequently, global emissions continue to grow, despite falling emissions in the West.
While it is true that emerging economies have a large carbon footprint, any conclusion that Canada should therefore stop reducing its emissions in response is dead wrong. We in Canada and in other richer nations must do more, both to realize the intrinsic benefits of a greener environment and to expedite international co-operation in decarbonization.
