Climate: Commitment Time

American President Barack Obama will deliver a much-awaited speech on his 2013 climate action plan. On paper this is the most ambitious plan for attacking climate change that the United States has ever announced.

American President Barack Obama will deliver a much-awaited speech on his 2013 climate action plan, whose main points are summed up in this 21-page document.

On paper this is the most ambitious plan ever announced by the United States for attacking climate change.

Though it may require several decades to arrive at expected results, it definitely marks a change in discourse, which is increasingly applied and concrete.

The stock market made no mistakes, and the actions of the main American coal producers collapsed on Monday.

Last year, disasters linked to a changing meteorology and climate cost $110 billion in the United States, says the presidential paper, which gives a three point strategy:

1. Reduce carbon emissions

2. Prepare the United States for the impact of climate change

3. Occupy a leadership position on the international scene

The first measure announced is aimed directly at energy production plants, which generate a third of the emissions of greenhouse gases in the United States. Although several states have already tightened emission standards, a first federal standard is in preparation and might help force efforts in the most recalcitrant states.

In 2012, before the anticipated date, permission was granted for 10 gigawatts of renewable energy, and another 10 gigawatts will be allowed before 2020.

The American government was also involved in a program of accountability in matters of energy, as President Obama was advised by his Office of Science and Technology Policy and is restating its willingness to rely on sound science to analyze the impact of climate change and adaptations to it.

For the first time, the president is also clearly asking all federal agencies to pass all their politics and programs through the filter of adaptation to climate change in order to eliminate barriers to investments that would be resilient to climatic hazards, as well as counterproductive measures that increase vulnerabilities.

On the international level, Barack Obama is distancing himself from the World Bank by appearing much more strict with respect to aid for projects to build coal plants, which he wants to reserve for the poorest countries — and on the condition that the projects use the most advanced technologies to control emissions.

In the United States again, the mayor of New York announced last week, explicitly on 438 pages, the $20 billion plan, “A Stronger, More Resilient New York,” to protect the city against the risk of hurricanes of the Sandy type.

Forget the rhetoric; it’s real. The document “Building Resiliency Task Force” even provides for the type of seal with which New Yorkers should close up their windows — urethane rather than latex — or the size of wood screws for work!

All this should make Canadian Minister of the Environment Peter Kent stop to reflect.

Last March, the minister was committed to disclosing during the first half of 2013 a plan to lower emissions of greenhouse gases of the petroleum and gas industry, which produce a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

As the Pembina Institute reminds us, he has six days to fulfill his commitment, while the oil sector is set to miss its target of emission reduction by 2020.

Negotiations are under way with the industry, which will be ready to do its part, Peter Kent has been recently declaring.

So be it. But it is time to prove that this is no idle talk. This will be a terribly beautiful gift to give to Canadians for their July 1 [Canada Day] celebrations.

And what better momentum for Ottawa to announce a clear commitment to adaptation to climate change than the dramatic floods in southern Alberta!