GOVERNANCE

The NRTEE?s Response to its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act

The Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act (KPIA) is a federal law that calls on Canada to meet its international commitment under the Kyoto Protocol by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 6 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. The KPIA received Royal Assent in June 2007.

Every year, the government must prepare a Climate Change Plan describing the measures and policies it enacted to ensure that Canada meets its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. This plan must also detail the expected emissions reductions resulting from the government?s measures and policies.

Within 60 days of receiving the Plan, the NRTEE must assess:

- The likelihood that each of the government?s proposed measures and policies will achieve the emission reductions forecasted in the Plan.

- The likelihood that the proposed measures will enable Canada to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.
Once the NRTEE Response is submitted, the Minister has three (3) calendar days to make it public.

The NRTEE is not mandated to evaluate the efficacy of the policies and measures in the Plan per se. It is not required, for example, to comment on the quality and effectiveness of the proposed measures nor to recommend additional measures to address climate change issues.

Status: Annual reporting requirement