Canada's environment minister denied on Wednesday reports of a rift inside cabinet over whether to ratify the Kyoto climate change accord, saying no final decision had been taken.
David Anderson played down comments by Industry Minister Brian Tobin, who on Tuesday appeared to suggest that Ottawa would reject the emissions cuts called for by Kyoto if it felt Canadian industries might suffer too much.
Anderson said the government was sticking to a plan to consult first with industry groups, ordinary citizens and the country's 10 provinces.
"Obviously we're going to have the consultations before we make the decision. That is the issue that is a very important one to get across. We have no change of position by reason of the statement of Mr Tobin," he told reporters.
The 1997 Kyoto pact seemed in jeopardy last March when Washington pulled out of the agreement, saying it would hurt the US economy. But earlier this month world environment and energy ministers struck a deal on the accord, paving the way for its implementation next year.
The Canadian government is faced with the awkward task of being environmentally responsible while maintaining good relations with the United States, the single largest purchaser of Canada's energy.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol commits developed countries to reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases that are blamed for global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere, by an average of 5 percent from 1990 levels by 2012.
But some in the Canadian energy sector + a large emitter of the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming + fear that they could be badly hit if Ottawa ratifies Kyoto.
The National Post newspaper quoted Tobin as telling mining industry executives on Tuesday that the government would do nothing in competitive terms to handcuff Canada's capacity to compete around the world and with the United States.
"I think Canadians are prepared to pay a price...in the interests of a cleaner environment and a global solution to sustainable development but we're not prepared to shut down sectors of Canada's economy without thinking very carefully what it is we're signing on to," he said.
Anderson stressed it was Prime Minister Jean Chretien who would take the final decision on ratification after a round of consultations, which is due to start early next year.
"I think maybe Mr. Tobin emphasized to an audience concerned about costs ... that we would take their concerns into consideration," he said.
"So I don't see that this was in any way a rejection of Kyoto and it's the prime minister who would be the person making that call and not me or the minister of industry."
(China Daily November 22, 2001)
