Canada has last place on a climate report card prepared by the World Wildlife Foundation. The United States is not too far behind, but they are at least trying to make changes in the right direction. “Nowhere else on Earth do fewer people steward more resources, yet Canada now stands dead last among the G8 nations in protecting our shared home from the threat of dangerous climate change,” said foundation spokesman Keith Stewart.

Some of Canada’s lowlights include:
Very high emission rates per capita compared to the industrialized countries’ average despite high share of hydropower.
Among the few G8 countries with emissions still increasing.
Expanding tar sands (thanks Alberta); neither provincial nor planned federal regulation will reduce overall emissions.
No significant policy improvements since last year; earlier climate plan does not aim for compliance with Kyoto target and has not been implemented.

The United States gets punched for the following:
The new automobile standards have not yet been incorporated into the new projections and would further reduce them.
Country with the highest absolute emissions in the G8. Emission rates are among the highest in the world, strong dependence on coal and oil.
Kyoto protocol was not ratified and target is unattainable, national targets under discussion but are less ambitious in the short-term.