Legally Binding

By Peter Jones

Over the last three weeks France has insisted that the committments  agreed on at COP21 be legally binding. In an earlier blog we commented that this demand would be rejected by the US.

Now Prime Minister Trudeau has come out in support of the US position. Not surprising considering that Canada’s record in honouring international commitments (Kyoto and Copenhagen) is not stellar.

Here is the reaction of  4RG member Barbara Falby.

“We (all citizens everywhere) do not have a choice when forced to deal with the consequences of rising emissions, and climate change. We do not have the luxury of saying we don’t want to deal with the causes; therefore, the American and Canadian argument that regulations are unenforceable, is not only spurious, it is irresponsible, and reprehensible, when the costs of dealing with escalating extreme weather events is in the $ trillions. We must all pay for the consequences, whether we want to or not; ergo, we must all accept regulation.”

 However, there are strategies to avoid this disagreement. Some provisions will be binding, but others do not impose an obligation. For example countries must submit emission targets but there are no consequences if the target is not met.

As an example, Canada did not come even close  to its Kyoto emission targets so it simply exercised a right to withdraw from its Kyoto treaty obligations!