October 24, 2013 - 4:29 PM
OTTAWA - The latest internal government report confirms Canada is not close to being on track to meet its promised target for emissions cuts by the year 2020.
The Environment Canada report, dated August 2012 but only released today, shows that the country is on pace to get just half way to the greenhouse gas emissions target under the Copenhagen Accord.
Even with long-overdue regulations on the oil and gas sector which have not yet been announced, the report doesn't foresee a scenario where the 2020 target will be met.
The report says increased production in Alberta's oil sands will result in overall emissions from the oil and gas sector increasing by 28 per cent between 2005 and 2020.
The report states that the future path of Canadian emissions will depend on half a dozen variables, including population growth, consumer behaviour, technology breakthroughs and government actions.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013