Future Options

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To ensure a safer living environment for planet Earth, the global human community has reached a consensus to fight climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the global effort for bringing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under control. The goal is to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby, alleviating climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, the first concrete step of this global effort, aims to reduce GHG emissions to 5.2% below 1990 levels by the time period of 2008 to 2010 for industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition (such as Hungary). Further emission reductions must follow in order to reach the goal of climate change alleviation.

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Making Informed Choices

To ensure a safer living environment for planet Earth, the global human community has reached a consensus to fight climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the global effort for bringing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under control. The goal is to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby, alleviating climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, the first concrete step of this global effort, aims to reduce GHG emissions to 5.2% below 1990 levels by the time period of 2008 to 2010 for industrialized countries and countries with economies in transition (such as Hungary). Further emission reductions must follow in order to reach the goal of climate change alleviation.

There is a variety of options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in human activities. These include improving energy efficiency, using alternative fuels with fewer emissions, developing renewable energy sources and clean technologies, and improving forest management and agricultural practice, among others. Adaptation to climate change is another type of option in the face of the changing climate. The implementation of most of these options should also provide opportunities for the environmental industry to flourish.

However, as industrialized countries seek an ever-increasing standard of living, and as the developing countries are striving to become industrialized, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the extent that can alleviate climate change is a tremendous challenge. While technology innovation can help to some degree, the goal cannot be reached unless heavily industrialized countries are willing to compromise their lifestyles, and unless the developing countries, with technological help from developed countries, make concerted efforts to control GHG emissions in their process of industrialization.

To make informed choices, the international scientific and policy community has been conducting a series of assessments. For Canada, to meet its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol (which is a reduction of GHG emissions to 6% below its 1990 level by 2008 to 2010), the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of energy and environment have launched the National Climate Change Process. With broad consultations to stakeholders and interested Canadians, this process has been carrying out wide-ranging inquiries into the feasibility of implementing the 6% reduction, as well as the potential implications of any GHG reductions for Canada's economy, environment and human health. The goal is to identify the options that will bring the largest benefits with the smallest cost, and also to allow Canadians to make informed choices.

This Module

Given the fact that local economy, culture and natural environment vary considerably across the vast landmass of Canada, geographical variation is an important factor for the assessment of costs and benefits of greenhouse gas reductions and for the adaptation to climate change for Canada. This module aims to provide a geographical view for looking at options and their implications, and to promote geographically-informed choices for alleviating climate change.

As a showcase, the first phase of this module includes only one map - the sensitivity of the average fuel efficiency of new light-duty vehicles to fuel price change.