While the planet is in a riptide of rising sea levels, savage weather patterns and out-of-control pollution, recent events suggest the world is waking up about climate change and the Canadian government better take action fast if it’s going to survive. 

Just this week, Canada came under fire from delegates at the annual United Nations climate-change conference in Nairobi as the only member of the Kyoto protocol refusing to meet binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012, as required under the international agreement for industrialized countries.

Meanwhile, a new poll conducted in Canada by Decima Research found 26 per cent of respondents said the key factor in their vote in the next election will be the environment, where the Tories are weak after their tepid clean-air legislation coupled with this week’s decision to steer away from Kyoto. The survey, moreover  found that of those concerned about the environment, 29 per cent planned to vote Liberal, 21 per cent chose the Bloc Quebecois, 18 per cent were with the Green party and only 15 per cent went with either Tories or the NDP. An election is widely expected sometime next year for the minority Conservative government.

Decima chief executive Bruce Anderson said Quebecers in particular stress the environment and Tory support there is softening.

“You could probably make the case that the numbers in Quebec suggest that the impact of the Conservative position on Kyoto and their Clean Air Act has not done for them what they were hoping it would do,” Anderson said. “In fact, it has probably helped drained some support from them.”

But instead of suggesting the Tories tackle climate change with a vengeance, he dropped the ball by stressing the economy and tax cuts, where they have strong support. 

Reports from Nairobi have painted Canada as an unwelcome guest. At home, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose has faced constant criticism from environmentalists, opposition MPs and the Quebec government. This week, she was forced to fend off new attacks from France and European Union leaders at the meeting who said she still has a lot to explain. 

Dismissing criticism of her government’s position on climate change as the result of “inaccurate reports and rumours,” Ambrose invited European experts to Canada for meetings in December to set up a new technology fund and establish a framework for a carbon market that would eventually be linked to Europe. 

Ambrose also met with former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern, who congratulated her for setting a long-term target to reduce greenhouse gases by about 65 per cent below 2003 levels by 2050, she said. Stern, who recently wrote a report for the British government that warned of grave economic consequences for the world if it doesn’t address climate change urgently, has also offered to send technical experts to Canada for the meetings in December.