TABLE OF CONTENTS CANADA IS COMMITTED TO REDUCING ITS GREENHOUSE GASES REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE IN CANADA ACTIONS YIELD ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR CANADA ADDITIONAL BENEFITS CAN BE SIGNIFICANT ASESSING THE CANADIAN SITUATION ADDITIONAL BENEFITS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN CANADA'S ACTION PLAN MORE INFORMATION

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Additional Benefits Canada is Committed to Reducing its Greenhouse Gas Emissions Climate is affected by atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Atmospheric concentrations of these gases have risen since pre-industrial times, largely due to emissions of these gases caused by human activities such as combustion of fossil fuels, land-use change and agriculture. Many actions to limit climate change also yield other environmental and economic benefits. This paper describes the nature and magnitude of these additional benefits. Canada is one of over 150 countries to ratify the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, whose ultimate objective is to stabilize "greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner." (see endnote 1) Stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will require that global emissions ultimately be reduced from current levels. To stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and N2O at any level up to several times the current concentration requires that global emissions be reduced by more than 50% over the next several centuries. Methane concentration can be stabilized more quickly and with a smaller emissions reduction. Developed countries, including Canada, have agreed to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The developed countries listed in Annex I of the Convention currently account for approximately 65% of global emissions of greenhouse gases, although this share is declining as a result of economic growth in developing countries. Canada and other Annex I countries agreed, under the Convention, to aim to return their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. Recognizing that these commitments are inadequate, the parties to the Convention agreed in 1995 to negotiate a protocol or other legal instrument, by late 1997, aimed at strengthening the commitments of Annex I countries for the period beyond 2000. Canada needs to do more if it is to honour its commitments. "Current forecasts predict that Canada's greenhouse gas emissions could be in the order of 13% above 1990 emissions by the year 2000, depending upon key underlying assumptions related to energy prices, economic growth and the relative growth of energy-intensive sectors of the Canadian economy." (see endnote 2) Endnotes: 1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Article 2. Detecting a human influence on climate is difficult due to the natural variability of the system, nevertheless the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded in 1995 that "the balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernable human influence on global climate." 2. Canada's National Action Program on Climate Change 1995, p. 3.