Canada Sides With the US - No Support for Binding Legislation on UNEP Mercury Rules

In a move that reminds many environmentalists of the United States' position on the Kyoto Protocol regarding GHGs, last week the Canadian representatives at UNEP in Nairobi, joined the US and India in blocking legally binding legislation attempteing to limit the use of mercury globally.

Most of 58 countries represented, including the European Union, Africa, Japan and Brazil, supported a legally binding treaty.

"We've dropped the ball," said Ken Ogilvie, executive director of Toronto-based Pollution Probe. "We've once again settled into the same camp as the United States ... opposing a binding treaty and calling for voluntary initiatives that we have a hard time delivering effectively."
(...)
Canada conceded in documents submitted to the UN Environment Program that "there is sufficient evidence of significant global adverse impacts from mercury ... to warrant further international action to reduce the risks to human health and the environment."
(...)
Liberal MP and environment critic David McGuinty said it reminds him of the Conservatives' U.S.-style disdain for the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"Foolish, very foolish," he said. "I mean, the government heralded its early work on mercury - most of which was done under our previous government.

"I'm reminded of the government in Washington. And that government has aggressively withdrawn from multilateral deals of all kinds over the last eight years.

"They want to simply say: 'We're going it alone.' ... But there's only one atmosphere. There has to be a global solution."

The full article from canada.com can be read here.