What CPAWS is doing

 Kyoto Protocol

Our main goal: To amend the rules of the Kyoto Protocol so emissions from forest degradation (logging, mining, and other industrial uses) count towards a country's total emissions and are subject to Kyoto’s binding emission reduction target.

Canada and others are currently re-negotiating the Protocol's rules.  Accounting for emissions from forest management is currently voluntary, which means emissions from extensive forest degradation in Canada do not count toward our total emissions and are not subject to Kyoto’s binding emission reduction target.

In Canada, forest degradation routinely occurs as natural, carbon-rich forests are roaded, logged and replaced by younger forests with lower levels of carbon.

Chris Henschel, CPAWS’ National Manager of Domestic and International Policy is co-chair of the international Climate Action Network’s working group on this issue and is advancing policy proposals with the Canadian government and other countries to fix this problem.  Mandatory accounting of emissions from forest degradation would create an incentive for wilderness protection in Canada and elsewhere.

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Western Climate Initiative

CPAWS is calling on the member states and provinces of the Western Climate Initiative to include emissions from the forest and land use sectors into an economy-wide Cap-and-trade framework.

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Canada's Offset System for Greenhouse Gases

CPAWS is making proposals to the federal government on how the proposed Offset System for Greenhouse Gases should be designed to support real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and ensure conservation benefits.

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 BC Climate Policy

The government of British Columbia has established a Climate Action Team to propose actions and policies to meet the province’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.  CPAWS is collaborating with other environmental groups to inform and influence the policy discussion. 

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