Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311)
Encyclopedia
The Climate Change Accountability Act was a Private Member's Bill in the 40th Parliament
, originally tabled in October 2006 in the Canadian House of Commons
as Bill C-377 of the 39th Parliament
by Jack Layton
, Leader of the New Democratic Party
of Canada (NDP). It passed third reading by a vote of 148 to 116 with the support of caucuses of the Liberal Party of Canada
, the Bloc Québécois
and the NDP (the Conservative Party of Canada
, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper
, voted against it). However, Bill C-377 died as it was still before the Senate when Parliament was dissolved for the 2008 Canadian federal election
.
On February 10, 2009 Bruce Hyer
, New Democrat Deputy Environment Critic and MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, seconded by Layton, reintroduced it in the 40th Parliament as Bill C-311. It passed 2nd Reading on April 1, 2009 by a vote of 141 to 128, and was sent to the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. On October 21, 2009, the House voted 169 to 93 to allow the Committee more time to study the Bill, as the sixty sitting days permitted for its consideration under Standing Order 97.1(1) of the House of Commons had expired. Passage of the Climate Change Accountability Act was therefore effectively delayed until 2010, meaning it would not influence the government in negotiations at the UN COP15 global climate change treaty negotiations held in December 2009 in Copenhagen. On December 10, 2009, the committee report on Bill C-311 was presented to the House, without amendment to the Bill.
The December 30, 2009 prorogation
of the House did not affect the Bill, as Private Member's Bills are reinstated at the stage last completed, and Bill C-311 had not been considered at Report Stage at prorogation. When Parliament resumed, C-311 was concurred in at Report Stage on April 14, 2010 by vote 155 to 137.
The bill was passed by the House of Commons at 3rd Reading on May 5, 2010 with 149 votes for and 136 votes against. It received 1st Reading in the Senate on May 6, 2010 and was debated several times before being defeated at 2nd Reading on November 16, 2010 by a vote of 43 to 32.
The Climate Change Accountability Act is based on the Case for Deep Reductions report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
and on guidelines set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
. These are the same emissions targets adopted by the European Union
and announced as objectives of U.S. President Obama's New Energy For America
strategy. The Bill is noteworthy in that it was the first legislation in the world to pass a democratically-elected parliament which mandated hard emissions reductions for the post-Kyoto Protocol
period (after 2012).
40th Canadian Parliament
The 40th Canadian Parliament was in session from November 18, 2008 to March 26, 2011, and was the last Parliament of the longest-running minority government in Canadian history that began with the previous Parliament. The membership of its House of Commons was determined by the results of the 2008...
, originally tabled in October 2006 in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as Bill C-377 of the 39th Parliament
39th Canadian Parliament
The 39th Canadian Parliament was in session from April 3, 2006 until September 7, 2008. The membership was set by the 2006 federal election on January 23, 2006, and it has changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections...
by Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Leader of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
of Canada (NDP). It passed third reading by a vote of 148 to 116 with the support of caucuses of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
and the NDP (the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, voted against it). However, Bill C-377 died as it was still before the Senate when Parliament was dissolved for the 2008 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
.
On February 10, 2009 Bruce Hyer
Bruce Hyer
Bruce Tolhurst Hyer is an American-born Canadian politician, who was first elected to represent the electoral district of Thunder Bay—Superior North in the 2008 Canadian federal election, and re-elected with a wider margin in the 2011 federal election...
, New Democrat Deputy Environment Critic and MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, seconded by Layton, reintroduced it in the 40th Parliament as Bill C-311. It passed 2nd Reading on April 1, 2009 by a vote of 141 to 128, and was sent to the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. On October 21, 2009, the House voted 169 to 93 to allow the Committee more time to study the Bill, as the sixty sitting days permitted for its consideration under Standing Order 97.1(1) of the House of Commons had expired. Passage of the Climate Change Accountability Act was therefore effectively delayed until 2010, meaning it would not influence the government in negotiations at the UN COP15 global climate change treaty negotiations held in December 2009 in Copenhagen. On December 10, 2009, the committee report on Bill C-311 was presented to the House, without amendment to the Bill.
The December 30, 2009 prorogation
Prorogation in Canada
Prorogation is the end of a parliamentary session in the Parliament of Canada and the parliaments of its provinces and territories. It differs from a recess or adjournment, which do not end a session, and from a complete dissolution of parliament, which ends both the session and the entire...
of the House did not affect the Bill, as Private Member's Bills are reinstated at the stage last completed, and Bill C-311 had not been considered at Report Stage at prorogation. When Parliament resumed, C-311 was concurred in at Report Stage on April 14, 2010 by vote 155 to 137.
The bill was passed by the House of Commons at 3rd Reading on May 5, 2010 with 149 votes for and 136 votes against. It received 1st Reading in the Senate on May 6, 2010 and was debated several times before being defeated at 2nd Reading on November 16, 2010 by a vote of 43 to 32.
Provisions
The Bill requires that the Canadian federal government set regulations to attain a medium-term target to bring greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, and a long-term target to bring emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. According to the summary, the purpose of this bill is:
"to ensure that Canada meets its global climate change obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing to a long-term target to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas emissions to a level that is 80% below the 1990 level by the year 2050, and by establishing interim targets for the period 2015 to 2045. It creates an obligation on the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to review proposed measures to meet the targets and submit a report to Parliament.
It also sets out the duties of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy."
The Climate Change Accountability Act is based on the Case for Deep Reductions report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
Emerging from the famous Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, the is a model for convening diverse and competing interests around one table to create consensus ideas and viable suggestions for sustainable development...
and on guidelines set by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international environmental treaty produced at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development , informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992...
. These are the same emissions targets adopted by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and announced as objectives of U.S. President Obama's New Energy For America
New Energy For America
New Energy for America is the Barack Obama-Joe Biden plan to invest in renewable energy, reduce reliance on foreign oil, address the global climate crisis, and create jobs.- History :The plan was presented in the Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008....
strategy. The Bill is noteworthy in that it was the first legislation in the world to pass a democratically-elected parliament which mandated hard emissions reductions for the post-Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
period (after 2012).