We could face some challenges moving ahead with Paris deal: environmentalist

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Paris climate deal signed this weekend has received widespread praise from environmentalists, but there are many hurdles ahead according to one expert.

Given our country’s economy is heavily focused on the fossil fuel sector, signing on to this deal is complicated, according to UBC professor Kathryn Harrison, a political scientist who specializes in environmental issues.

“Canada may be one of the countries that faces the greatest challenge in fulfilling our commitments in this treaty,” says Harrison. “We have an extremely greenhouse-gas intensive economy. If we’re going to phase out our reliance on fossil fuels over say five decades, we’re one of the countries in the world that has the farthest to go.

She tells us that sets up a difficult path ahead for government as it tries to balance the environment with paying the bills.

“We are making decisions today about infrastructure such as bitumen pipelines, that are likely to operate for decades, at a time when the world is committing to phase out reliance on fossil fuels over that time period,” says Harrison.

While Harrison describes the deal as a positive step, she points out that it is essentially built on the honour system, and is an agreement on a process on how to reach targets, not to hit specific outcomes.

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