What legislation governs climate change?
Climate change is an international concern. Rather than a single national or provincial law governing climate change, there is an overarching international agreement that binds countries to reductions in greenhouse gases. Under the sponsorship of the United Nations, Canada along with more than 150 other nations first signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change at the Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992. This was followed in 1997 by the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that sets specific targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the Kyoto Protocol Canada and other developed countries have made a commitment to reduce their emissions to 6 per cent of 1990 emissions levels. They agreed to meet these targets by the five-year period between 2008 and 2012. This Protocol becomes legally binding when 55 countries responsible for 55 per cent of global 1990 carbon dioxide emissions sign the agreement. On December 17, 2002, Prime Minister Jean Chretien ratifie
