It's time politicians in North America began taking the type of politically risky measures to cut carbon-dioxide emissions that their counterparts in Europe have already initiated, says the Danish minister playing host to the coming United Nations conference on climate change.
And Connie Hedegaard, Denmark's minister for climate and energy, said the inaction of some is making life difficult for politicians in jurisdictions taking the threat of global warming seriously.
"Sometimes there is a misunderstanding in Canada and the United States that this is just a piece of cake for EU politicians," Ms. Hedegaard said in an interview in her office with The Globe and Mail.
"Well, let me assure them, it is not."
Ms. Hedegaard said when countries like Canada decide not to force businesses to operate under stricter CO2 limits, it causes problems for politicians trying to impose those ceilings on institutions within their own countries.
"How am I to convince Danish companies that they should go from 20-per-cent reductions in their CO2 emissions to maybe 30 per cent by 2020, if their American and Canadian competitors are not part of that?
"It's not that easy for European politicians to keep together all 27 member states if they cannot see that their competitors are also going to be part of the same rules."
Ms. Hedegaard's point serves as a perfect illustration of why so few people believe that countries attending December's UN conference here will be able to find common ground on any number of outstanding issues to produce an internationally binding agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in two years. A failure to craft at least a framework of an accord, the minister said, will represent a lost opportunity that may not present itself again for years.
If the conference does end without an agreement, it certainly won't be for a lack of effort on the host's part. There are few, if any, environment ministers anywhere as passionate about the climate crisis and who believe that governments need to begin putting the planet's interests ahead of their own political ones.
It's clear the government of Canada is one of the nations that Ms. Hedegaard feels have so far refused to take the kind of bold, politically tough actions necessary to have a real impact on cutting CO2 emissions.
But then, listening to the climate minister, it also seems evident that what really matters, come the UN conference in December, is that some sort of consensus be reached among the global powers - the United States, China, India, the EU. If they lead, the others, including Canada, will have little choice but to follow.
On that front, Ms. Hedegaard is more encouraged than most. China, she said, is making noises that indicate it is no longer business as usual there.
"This year, China will be the world's largest exporter of energy efficient technologies as far as I understand," said the minister. "It will be the world's biggest installer this year of wind and solar technology. In other words, they are doing this."
The minister said the Chinese have targets for renewable resources - 15 per cent of all energy production by 2020 - and more recently have said they would set up targets for CO2 intensity per produced unit.
She is similarly encouraged with signals coming from India. Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has indicated that the country may soon pursue unilateral voluntary measures to fight climate change. It's not a lot, but a start. Meantime, the EU, Australia and Japan have all indicated they are prepared to ramp up their efforts.
One of the biggest obstacles in the way of any accord is the question of whether any agreed-upon CO2 emission cuts are going to be binding on all of the signatories. The United States, for instance, has indicated that it will not sign any deal that binds it to reduction levels, unless the Chinese do the same. China has so far refused to agree to this, as has India.
But Ms. Hedegaard believes the West is going to have to be a little patient with the Chinese and other emerging economies. For now, getting them to agree to deviate from standard practices and take part in other CO2 reduction endeavours like cap and trade is in the best interests of North American businesses.
"To get a global price on carbon will be in their interests," said the minister. "If they don't get it, they risk lagging behind and they will lose what I believe will be the big economic battleground of the 21st century."
"So I hope that the recognition and awareness in North America will increase so people will see that it is in their interests to join this and have a common framework."
Ms. Hedegaard said that in her view any Copenhagen accord will have to contain four crucial elements: a binding commitment by all of the participating nations on reduction levels; financial aid to developing nations to help their climate-fight programs; measures to help countries adapt to new climate realities wrought by a warming planet; and an agreement to ramp up the use and development of green technologies.
"Because these four issues are all inter-related," she said. "In the real world, you're not going to get one of those and not the rest because there are too many interests who will say if we give you this than we must have that."
Gary Mason