SYDNEY, N.S. - The federal government wants a legally binding deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday as climate negotiators in Mexico tried to finalize an agreement to stem global warming.
"We want to see the world achieve a legally binding agreement to regulate and control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all major emitters of the planet, including Canada," Harper said after a harbour funding announcement in Nova Scotia.
While Canada has come under criticism for its environmental stance "from certain quarters," Harper said lobbying efforts should be focused on other countries that don't want to bring down emissions.
"Let's focus our efforts on pushing the guys who aren't wanting an agreement to get to the table and get an agreement," he said.
Harper's comments come in the face of tough criticism from environmentalists over the lack of a climate change plan in Canada and for reneging on the Kyoto Protocol. And earlier this week, Canada's environmental auditor chided the government for not implementing a strategy on dealing with the increasing effects of climate change.
In Cancun, negotiators on the final day of their two-week meeting appeared deadlocked on one issue related to promises by industrial and developing countries to rein in emissions of heat-trapping gases.
But there were hopes that the meeting will result in the creation of a $100-billion annual fund for developing countries threatened by altered weather patterns. That fund would also give those countries the technology to overcome petroleum-based economic development in favour of clean energy.
Canada's position did not sit well with members of the Canadian Youth Delegation who were attending the Cancun conference.
They issued a statement on Friday saying they walked out of a federal government briefing after expressing their disagreement with the government's negotiating team.
"It's increasingly clear that our country is not a leader and is not prepared to be," delegation member Stephen McGlenn said in the statement.
The Canadian Youth Delegation describes itself as a group of diverse youth from across the country who are concerned and active on the issues of climate change.
