Toronto's laudable efforts to reduce CO2 do not make up for the destruction caused by Alberta and the Canadian government

I’m delighted to hear from the Mayor of Toronto that his city is making significant cuts in its emissions and is fully participating in the C40 group of cities working to combat climate change. However the fact remains that the destruction being caused by Alberta and the Canadian national government far outweighs anything being done by Canadians as individuals or cities and is in danger of destroying Canada’s longstanding reputation as a bastion of progressive values.

Canada is the centre of the oil tar sands industry (see photo below) which is converting natural gas and fresh water into oil and causing untold environmental destruction in the process. Canada is in breach of its Kyoto obligations and has abandoned any attempt to reach those targets. (Canada’s emissions have risen by 26% since 1990, the Kyoto baseline.) Canada has consistently tried to block a Commonwealth agreement on binding emissions cuts for industrialised nations. Canada is actively trying to derail the Copenhagen climate negotiations.

I would like to see the British government: support the expulsion of Canada from the Commonwealth; use every opportunity to chastise the Canadian government for its actions; force British nationalised banks like RBS to disinvest from the oil tar sands business; and sanction companies doing business in Britain like Shell and BP if they continue to be involved in the oil tar sands business.

All Canadians should take responsibility for, and seek to do something about, the fact that Canada is now the biggest threat to our chances of averting runaway climate change and to our hopes of striking a post-Kyoto deal.