The premiers of Ontario and Quebec have signed an agreement to cut greenhouse gases in their provinces -- a move that has angered the federal government.
"One of the reasons we got together is that we think we can go further, faster," said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty on Monday. "The feds have failed to put forward a plan in keeping with the ambitions and aspirations of Canadians."
Dalton and Quebec Premier Jean Charest said they sealed their deal because Canadians are disappointed with the federal government's proposals to control gas emissions.
The Quebec-Ontario deal will involve a basic framework for an inter-provincial cap-and-trade system -- with a 1990 baseline for emission levels. The system aims to limit industrial emissions by allowing companies to sell unused carbon credits to companies that exceed their cap.
But the Federal Tories appear to be mocking the deal. Federal Environment Minister John Baird repeatedly called the provincial deal a "scheme" on CTV's Mike Duffy Live. He also claimed the provinces seem to be "ganging up on Ottawa."
Baird then conducted a show-and-tell routine, pulling out a sheet of paper and a small binder.
"I've got two things I want to show you," Baird said, balancing the paper in one hand and the binder in the other. "Today we have the landmark agreement of Ontario and Quebec -- one page. And then we have our plan (in the binder) ... and you can see which is more serious."
The Conservatives say their plan will reduce emissions 20 per cent below 2006 levels by 2020. But environmentalists have overwhelmingly criticized the government's plan.
"It's completely inadequate and essentially no one around the world is adopting that approach because of its inadequacies," Emilie Moorhouse, executive director of the Sierra Club, told CTV Newsnet.
The premiers said the Quebec and Ontario plan will opt for "real reductions," as opposed to the federal government's "intensity-based" plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Charest told Canada AM that the two provinces are pushing forward with a carbon cap-and-trade system because that's the way most of the world is going.
Charest noted that Quebec and Ontario use the 1990 carbon benchmark acknowledged by much of the international community, whereas the federal government uses a 2006 benchmark.
Moorhouse said the federal government is being "left in the dust."
"I think the collaboration that we're seeing between the provinces effectively renders the Harper government's approach to climate change obsolete," she said.
"The Harper government is planning to adopt intensity-based targets which would essentially allow an overall increase in greenhouse gases."
With files from The Canadian Press
