鈥淐ANADA is giving up too easily,鈥� declared Jennifer Morgan, director of WWF鈥檚 international climate change programme, at the UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, last week. 鈥淢any delegates here are shocked.鈥�
Morgan was reacting to Canada鈥檚 announcement that its commitments to the Kyoto protocol were 鈥渦nachievable鈥�. The disappointment was all the more keenly felt because the Canadian environment minister Rona Ambrose, who made the announcement, is president of the UN framework convention on climate change. She said Kyoto requires a total rethink to allow Canada more flexibility in meeting emissions targets.
Until a few months ago, when the Conservative government was elected, Canada was a key leader in the Kyoto process, Morgan says. Two days after Ambrose鈥檚 announcement, a motion supported by a majority in the Canadian parliament warned the Conservatives they will have to comply with Kyoto or possibly face an election fight on the issue.
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Environmental groups have called for Ambrose to resign.
