Commitment Issues 2012 Policy Report
Commitment Issues: Tar sands extraction invalidates Canada’s obligations to the UNFCCC and undermines global climate change negotiations. Full technical report.
Le rapport sera bientôt disponible en français.
Commitment Issues Executive summary.
Questions relatives à l’engagement: Resumé analytique.
Canada, as a party to the COP18 UNFCCC climate change negotiations in Doha, Qatar, is engaging in the development of international treaties to address global climate change prevention, adaptation, and mitigation. However, Canada’s domestic policies violate its pre-existing commitments to the UNFCCC under the Copenhagen Accord and void the legitimacy of future contributions. The primary obstacle is continued bitumen mining expansion in the Athabasca tar sands, which invalidates Canada’s commitment to limit global warming to 2°C since pre-industrial times and sets a dangerous global precedent for extreme extraction. This report outlines how tar sands development undermines Canada’s commitment to the UNFCCC and prevents international climate progress.
