Yukon's progress on climate change 'underwhelming', say critics

Critics are calling the Yukongovernment's new progress report on its 2009 Climate Change Action Plan a disappointment.

The government this week issued a 47-page update on its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling other issues related to climate change. The report was notable for its lack of data on key measurements of greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use.

• Yukon's climate change plan update lacks new data

NDP leader Liz Hanson called the document "underwhelming."

"It's great to see that we're talking about recognizing that [thawing] permafrost is going to have and does have increasingly serious implications for how we designour roads and build our buildings," Hanson said.

"We also need to fundamentally questionwhat are we doing to prevent more climate change, to stop that very rapid increase in our temperature in the North?"

Anne Midler ofthe Yukon Conservation Societysaidthere is a disconnectbetween the government's desire to show that it takes climate change seriously,and its efforts todevelopan oil and gas sector.

"We need to be moving towards a zero-carbon economy, a zero-carbon society," Midlersaid. She and Hanson both argue the government should invest in the green energy sector.

"It's not going to hurt our economy.It's going to create a new economy that we haven't seen here yet in the Yukon, but we need to take advantage of it, and fast," Midler said.

Both Midler and Hanson hope that Paris climate talks nowunderway willinspirethe territorial government toward more aggressive action on climate change.