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2008
 Johnson- ShoyamaGraduate School of Public PolicySean McConnachie
CANADA’SINTERNATIONALCLIMATE CHANGEINITIATIVE: TARIFFSVS. MARKETS
An analysis of the accumulated carbon tariff and transferable discharge permitmarkets in combating global climate change, and what direction Canada shouldgo based on these two models.
 
Executive Summary:
With the debate on what steps should be taken to reduce Canada’s climatechange footprint heating up, as the provinces and the federal government beginimplementing alternative measures, one variable of this debate is noticeablyabsent. Though it is of the utmost importance that Canada begins to lay a stableand proactive framework to achieve major GHG reductions in the medium- to long-,we need to be reminded of the essence of the Kyoto protocol; its international focus. Though domestic cuts are important, the victories of the global fight against climatechange will be won through the reduction of emissions in the world’s largest andfastest developing economies. Though time has shown that the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Climate ChangeConference have not lived up to their almost unreasonable expectations, it is notoutside of the capacity of the developed states that are currently implementing
 
climate change policies to contribute to strong international actions through theirown domestic policies. In so far as they can, participating states, with their justconcerns for the involvement of developing states in global climate action, can starttaking drastic steps towards environmental improvements at the international levelby enacting domestic policies that provide incentives for foreign producers to takesteps in reducing GHGs.Discourse around such actions over the past few years, based on the failureof the Kyoto Protocol in developing an internationally based emissions tradingmarket, have been focused on domestic actions to bring international producersinto the regulatory fold of the states that are taking concrete action against theglobal phenomena of climate change. Presently there are two major policy optionsthat are being given the lion’s head of attention; carbon tariffs and the developmentof an international emissions trading market. However, in light of the difficultieswith developing an international emissions market from the top down, it hasbecome evident that the imposition of emission tariffs on imported goods andservices is the best alternative in this debate.Nevertheless it would be premature to right off emissions trading at theinternational level as an inadequate policy option, as most states that are takingclimate change action have, or are in the process of, developing domestic emissionstrading markets; as they see this as the best alternative for providing greaterincentives for long-term action. Based on this, a third policy option has risen like aphoenix from the ashes of the Kyoto Protocol; importer integration into domesticemission trading markets.In light of the impassioned debate that is currently underway in Canada, as towhat domestic policy to implement to reduce GHGs, it is of the utmost importance
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