This assessment of provincial government performance on climate change was prepared by the Pembina Institute to serve as a "baseline" prior to implementation of Canada's new National Implementation Strategy on Climate Change. Each province was assessed in nine main areas of potential activity: transportation and land use planning, electricity, buildings, industry, facilitating emissions trading, government operations, reducing other sources of greenhouse gases, promoting technology development, and enhancing public awareness and understanding. The review awarded each province a score out of 100. British Columbia scored highest of the five provinces assessed with 30.5%; BC was followed by Ontario at 27.5%, Alberta at 26.5%, Québec at 22.0% and Saskatchewan at 20.5%.
These scores clearly indicate that most provincial governments have done very little to protect the climate. While the federal government has done far less than it should to address climate change, its efforts put provincial governments to shame. All provincial governments have been asked to come to the Federal-Provincial Energy and Environment Joint Ministers Meeting (JMM) in Québec City in October 2000 with a set of measures that they are willing to take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next two to three years. This assessment describes the kinds of measures provincial governments should be bringing to the table.
