Activists, companies split over Kyoto panel

Bill Curry
Globe and Mail
22-Aug-2005

OTTAWA

Environment Canada's hope of bringing together industry executives, environmentalists and senior public servants to craft policies might not get off the ground as boycotts are threatened over who gets to run the meetings.

Some environmental critics are questioning why EnCana, a company that has been one of the most vocal critics of the Kyoto Protocol, has been asked to fill a leadership role as co-chair of a panel that will propose energy policies.

But Gerry Protti, the EnCana executive vice-president who has been named to the post, said he is proud of his company's environmental record and is looking forward to taking part in the policy sessions.

He noted that EnCana has invested in tidal-power technology, as well as research into ways to capture carbon dioxide emissions and inject them back into Earth.

"We still think [Kyoto's] a huge challenge and I think the entire energy sector recognizes that. Having said that, I think we're taking a leadership role in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.".

In July, 21 environmental groups said they would boycott the first of four such policy tables after it was announced that a vice-president of Imperial Oil had been named co-chair of the meetings dealing with chemicals.

There will also be tables dealing with the mining and forestry sectors.

Each table is co-chaired by both an industry representative and a senior public servant.

John Bennett, senior policy adviser for the Sierra Club, said that if the government wants to get industry involved, it should invite companies, such as Shell and Suncor, that have been more supportive of Kyoto and the government's environmental plan.

Mr. Bennett said environmental groups are giving Environment Canada a bit more time to convince them environmental concerns will not be sidelined by the views of industry at the four tables. "If they don't, there will be a boycott of all the tables," he added.

"The companies that fought the hardest against doing the right thing end up with the most influence with the government. It might have been some crackerjack's idea that this would be a smart way to get them in the house, but they weren't thinking what that communicated to Canadians."

Rick Smith of the Environmental Defence Fund expressed similar concerns, saying: "It's another bizarre decision by the government. It's yet another fox-in-the-henhouse scenario."

But not all environmentalists are ready to give up on the tables, or think industry representatives should be rejected out of hand.

Marlo Raynolds of the Pembina Institute, a not-for-profit environmental-policy research and education organization, took part in one of the planning meetings for the energy table. He said that while he has some concerns, he is still hopeful the meetings can be positive.

Mr. Raynolds said he is pushing for the volunteer co-chair positions to rotate and include environmentalists. EnCana deserves some credit for getting involved in the project, he added.

"It creates an opportunity for EnCana to show and demonstrate some leadership and I think we'll have to see how they use that opportunity."

Environment Canada spokesman Sebastien Bois said the co-chairs are expected to be neutral and will not be representing the positions of their companies or departments. Mr. Protti's experience in government and with outside policy groups makes him "very qualified" for the position, Mr. Bois added.

Mr. Protti, a former public servant with the Alberta government, said he received a personal invitation from Alex Himelfarb, Clerk of the Privy Council, to take part in the meetings.

Mr. Protti said he and the other energy co-chair, fisheries deputy minister Larry Murray, have been working on a list of members for the table. He predicted it will involve between 25 and 30 people.