Canadian Government Lets Oil Companies Off the Hook on Climate Change - Environment Groups Demand Real Action

CNW Telbec, October 8, 2008 - On the eve of Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach's central Canadian tour to promote development of the Athabasca tar sands, the Climate Action Network released a report today showing that the federal government's proposed climate change strategy lets oil companies off the hook.

"The federal government's proposed climate change plan appears to be designed to accommodate explosive growth in greenhouse gas pollution from the tar sands. If the plan goes forward, emissions from the tar sands will more than double over the next decade making it virtually impossible for Canada to do its fair share in the fight against climate change," said Graham Saul of Climate Action Network, a coalition of Canada's leading environmental groups.

Stuck in the Tar Sands: How the Federal Government's Proposed Climate Change Strategy Lets Oil Companies off the Hook demonstrates how the federal government has failed to hold oil companies accountable for the emissions they generate.

Climate Action Network is calling for an immediate tax on greenhouse gas pollution, the development and implementation of a rigorous cap-and-trade system and a requirement that all existing and new oil sands operations become "carbon neutral" by 2020.

"Stelmach and Harper have turned their backs on the climate crisis and refused to take real action to reduce emissions from the tar sands. We need the federal government to take its head out the sands and show some real leadership on this issue," stated Dave Martin of Greenpeace Canada.

Premier Stelmach's visit to Montreal today and Toronto tomorrow coincides with tar-sands companies' push to increase its export infrastructure and get the oil out of Alberta and to the main North American refining facilities. For example, Calgary-based Enbridge has asked the National Energy Board to authorize a Montréal-Sarnia pipeline reversal, allowing the shipment of more than 200,000 barrels per day to Montréal, most of it en route to Texas by way of pipelines and oil tankers.

The project will be a tough sell in Québec where, in a recent CROP survey, more than seventy per cent of Quebeckers indicated that Enbridge's pipeline project must be delayed until stronger environmental laws are in place to control greenhouse gas emissions from the tar sands.

"Quebeckers are starting to do their share when it comes to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and they expect others to do their share, too," said Sidney Ribaux, Executive Director of Montreal-based Equiterre. "We don't want to be part of any plan that subverts our efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, including expansion in the tar sands."

For further information: Graham Saul, Climate Action Network, Ottawa, (613) 558-3368 (cell); Arthur Sandborn, Greenpeace, Montreal, (514) 235-5955(cell); David Martin, Greenpeace, Toronto, (416) 627-5004 (cell); Marie-Eve Roy, Equiterre, Montreal, (514) 378-0232 (cell); To download the report, go to www.climateactionnetwork.ca