• The government’s previous target (a 20 per cent reduction from the 2006 level by 2020) would have reduced emissions to 3 per cent below 1990 levels.

This is only true in hindsight – i.e., in light of revised figures calculated since the target in question was set. In April, 2007 when the Harper government announced the goal of a 20% reduction below 2006 emission levels, the latter were assumed to amount to about 760 megatonnes, which would produce a 2020 target of “about 610 megatonnes”, according to a footnote at the bottom of this web page.

The 610 Mt figure is actually about 2% higher than 599 Mt, which was at the time the accepted figure for the 1990 baseline year. The 1990 emission figure was subsequently readjusted downwards to 592 Mt, and the 2006 emission figure was likewise adjusted downwards to 718 Mt.

Only after those downward adjustments are taken into consideration does the 20% target come out to be equivalent to 3% below 1990 levels. At the time the 20% target was set, however, it was the assumption (and therefore the intention) of the Harper government that the 2020 emission level would still exceed the 1990 baseline level.