Release report on climate change, network urges

(Ottawa, Jan. 23, 2008) The Climate Action Network Canada-Réseau action climat Canada (CAN-RAC) is calling on Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn to immediately release a report on the impacts of climate change — a report that his ministry has been sitting on since last fall. The scientific report on climate change impacts and adaptation for each region of Canada was to be released prior to the Kyoto negotiations in Bali, but has yet to be made public.
     
“This topic is at the heart of Canada’s climate change crisis, so why is it being kept under wraps?” asked Arthur Sandborn, climate campaigner for Greenpeace Canada.

The report “From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate” describes Canada’s vulnerability to global warming. It is the work of scientists working across Canada and will provide the most up-to-date picture of the impacts of climate change on Canada.  The summary report, which has been complete for several months, is said to provide advice to government on the steps required to adapt to changes in the climate.

Next week, Canadian Premiers will be devoting an entire day of the Council of the Federation meeting to address adaptation to climate change. “Once again, provincial leaders are at least discussing an important area of climate change policy where the federal government is only creating obstacles and delaying,’ said Dale Marshall, climate change policy analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation.

It has been years since the federal government last reported to Canadians on the impacts of global warming in Canada. This new report is the final product of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Network (C-CIARN). C-CIARN was created in 2001, with funding from the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Program (CCIAP) of Natural Resources Canada. It has completed over 130 research projects.

“Could the Minister at least tell Canadians when the report will be released?” asked Graham Saul, Executive Director of CAN-RAC.