The Conservative government is refusing to consult with environmental organizations when it comes to developing a plan to fight climate change both domestically and internationally, say some stakeholders.

"It's our understanding that the government has been engaging in a dialogue and consultation with Canadian corporations as well as with Canadian provinces. They have not, despite our repeated requests, been consulting with civil society organizations and Canadian environmental groups," said Graham Saul, executive director of the Climate Action Network. "Over the last three years there may have been one or two meetings between environmental organizations and government bureaucrats set up with the specific purpose of hearing perspectives on a cap-and-trade system, but it was over a year ago, and the government really doesn't have a strategy for engaging Canadian organizations on its climate policy."

Since becoming the environment minister in October 2008, Jim Prentice (Calgary Centre North, Alta.) has met with lobbyists from various corporations and organizations more than 130 times, according to the Lobbyists Registry. A handful of meetings were with representatives not from industry, including officials from the Pembina Institute twice, the David Suzuki Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund twice, Wildlife Habitat Canada, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, and the University of Calgary, almost all of which took place last November when Mr. Prentice first took over the environment portfolio. Since then, he's met several times with Alliance of Manufacturers & Exporters Canada, J.D. Irving Limited, Nova Scotia Power, Encana, Shell, Suncor Energy, Imperial Oil Limited, the Mining Association of Canada, Saskatchewan Power, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, ATCO Power, Ford Motor Company, BP Canada Energy, Enbridge, Canadian Energy Pipeline Association and the Forest Products Association of Canada among several others, according to the registry.

"It means that they're not really interested in the perspectives of Canadian environmental groups and faith-based groups and labour unions and indigenous organizations and youth groups on this issue. Basically this government isn't interested in the opinions of important constituencies within society," Mr. Saul told The Hill Times. "Canada's currently the worst country in the industrialized world when it comes to taking action on climate change, when it comes to international negotiations. Their failure to develop a strategy to reach out to Canadian organizations on the design of their domestic legislation is just reflective of that."

As international climate change talks come to a head in December in Copenhagen, there is a lot of negotiating left to do in very little time, said Dale Marshall, a climate change policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation. "There's over two months and not a lot of negotiating time to finish up what's a pretty big process. It doesn't look good right now in terms of things moving. There's a lot to be done in terms of negotiations," Mr. Marshall said last week from the international climate change negotiations in Bangkok, Thailand. "In terms of the government listening, they're not listening to anybody who's talking about the science of climate change. They're not listening to scientists, they're not listening to environmental groups, they're not even listening to business groups who are increasingly having a more progressive view of action that's necessary because we haven't seen a change in the Canadian position for two and a half years."

Conservative MP Mark Warawa (Langley, B.C.) said last week, however, that the government is participating fully in international negotiations and is indeed consulting with industry, scientists, environmental groups and its international partners, especially the U.S. "We are consulting with our international partners, and our provincial/territorial partners and preparing for Copenhagen. The Copenhagen meeting in December is a very important meeting and we will continue our negotiating and working with our partners because we do need an agreement. It's important to tackle climate change and we're committed to doing that with our international partners," he said, adding, "some of the brightest minds on climate change are right here in Canada working within Environment Canada. Our decisions are based on sustainable environment and a healthy prosperous economy. You have to have that balance."

Mr. Warawa did not say whether there should be an overall consulting strategy when it comes to climate change, as is done for the annual federal budget, but said that Canada has been a leader in climate change and cited its target of 20 per cent absolute reductions of greenhouse gases by 2020, based on 2006 levels. He noted that the U.S. is on side with a similar target, and that the Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue has resulted in "a regular flow of meetings and consultations with the provinces and territories" with a clear harmonization in the works.

Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Ont.) criticized the government for not already having a plan, however, and implementing it three years ago. He said he's not surprised that the majority of stakeholders the government's talked to on climate change policy is the oil and gas industry.

"I don't see why if you're going to devise a national plan, a serious plan to deal with climate change that you wouldn't want to hold hearings. I don't know if they have to be as public or as open as the budgetary process of receiving submissions, but I don't see how that could hurt. How could it hurt to engage people who are well meaning, who are passionate, who are concerned, who are smart, who are experienced, who have solutions? Why wouldn't we want to do that?" Mr. McGuinty said. "It doesn't mean when you consult, the parties you're consulting will get their own way. At least give them an opportunity for meaningful input. Most environmental NGOs in this country have moved and matured. They're not just in the problem business, they want to be in the solution business and they have a lot to offer. They have a strong constituency to bring on board. This is a national project here."

Mr. Saul noted last week that Canada's climate change ambassador, Michael Martin, has been open to conversations about Canada's position at Copenhagen, but attempts to change the position are futile. "To be fair, Michael Martin is pretty open to having conversations about Copenhagen, it's just that they're not the most productive meetings because the Canadian government doesn't have a position on so many different things and those things it does have a position on Michael Martin's not in a position to change. So there's only so much value in that conversation," he said.

Despite the road block, the environmental groups and other NGOs who want to have a say in Canada's climate change fight are lobbying in other ways, Mr. Saul said. For example, they are reaching out directly to Canadians, organizing speaking tours, working in swing ridings, taking part in international days of action, attending international negotiations themselves, and meeting with various people in different parties. As a result, some private members bills have made its way through the legislative process to attempt to make a change.

"Things are happening, it's just that this particular government has decided it would rather represent the oil industry when it comes to climate policy than Canadians," he said.

bvongdou@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times