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The Conservative government is trying to downplay a report from a pro-business think tank that damns its new climate plan.

"Will the prime minister agree that this plan is not intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but to protect the gas and oil industry?" asked Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe during Wednesday's question period in the House of Commons.

Duceppe based his questions on the report released Tuesday by the C.D. Howe Institute authored by Marc Jaccard, someone the government has called one of Canada's leading economists.

"The minister of the environment suggested a number of measures to meet the objective, and we don't agree with the estimates of that study, but we are developing a regulatory system and we intend to review all of the figures to ensure that we will meet our targets," responded Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The report doesn't hold out much hope of that happening.

"The results ... indicate that overall emissions in Canada are unlikely to fall below current levels," said a summary released Tuesday.

"The government is likely to miss its 2020 emissions target by almost 200 megatonnes. Moreover, because of this gap in 2020 between target and reality, it is unlikely that a future government would be able to achieve the ambitious 2050 target."

The government has tried to paint Canada has having taken a leadership role in the G8 resolution that would have the world's leading economies "seriously consider" a goal of halving emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

The report said no policy will succeed unless it puts a price on carbon emissions, either through a carbon tax or a strict cap on emissions.

Jaccard told The Canadian Press that while several generations of federal government plans going back to the era of Brian Mulroney have set targets for GHG reductions, they haven't put enough effort into developing policies that make reductions possible.

Targets are often so far into the future that no government can be held accountable, he said. "You're not likely to be around when your policies are proven to be incorrect."

With the current plan, Jaccard said one weakness is allowing industry to pay for offsets instead of making cuts.

Poor reception for plan

This is the third report to find major problems with the plan since Environment Minister John Baird unveiled it in late April.

Duceppe noted that one of those studies found that GHG emissions from the Alberta oilsands could triple under the Conservative plan. "Will the government admit this is not to reduce pollution but help the oil companies that are making profits while continuing to pollute?"

Baird said for the first time, Canada has real measures in place to help meet its targets.

"It is essential that we work closely industry, with the transportation industry and the railways and marine transport. We have to work with the provinces as well," he said. "We are working hard to ensure there will be support for the objectives throughout Canada."

NDP Leader Jack Layton accused the Tories of merely adopting failed Liberal policies and joining with U.S. President George Bush to dilute the language on the G8 climate change statement.

Harper said the G8 statement was a strong one, "and for the first time, it included the United States."

Climate activist John Bennett told Â鶹ӰÊÓnet that "Canada did a great job at making sure that George Bush stamped his foot and got his way.

"The G8 said it's going to 'seriously consider' taking action on climate change. That's a real big improvement? I don't think so. I think the government of Canada should be ashamed of itself. It's lined itself up with the global polluters and the global do-nothingers and it's become a shill for George Bush."

On the government's climate plan, the "government listens to those who want to profit today, and that's why we're so far behind in innovation," Bennett said.

He likened the current regulatory process to asking teenagers what rules they wanted to follow.

The government needs to bring in tough regulations to force innovation, foster sustainable development and ensure that GHG emissions start to drop, he said.

With files from The Canadian Press