Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed a United Nations summit on climate change Monday, urging governments to adopt a flexible, balanced approach to the issue.
Harper told more than 70 world leaders gathered in New York that there is an emerging consensus that a new framework is needed to replace the Kyoto accord, which expires in 2012.
"A new international framework must stimulate the development and deployment of clean, low-carbon energy technologies," said Harper.
He said that in the near term the world will continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels and that Canada -- as a major energy producer -- will play an increasingly important role in global energy security.
"We therefore have a responsibility to find cleaner and more efficient ways to convert hydrocarbons into energy," said Harper.
Harper then touted Canada's balanced approach to the issue.
"We are balancing environmental protection with economic growth, we are balancing public and private sector involvement in clean energy technology development," said Harper.
He also said Canada's approach to emissions reduction engaged "all major emitters while respecting the unique characteristics of their national economies."
Harper's government has pledged to reduce emissions 20 per cent from current levels by 2020. The pledge replaces what the Tories call impossible targets under Kyoto that would cripple the economy if met.
The 1997 Kyoto deal requires 36 industrial nations to reduce heat-trapping gases produced by power plants and other industrial, agricultural and transportation sources by an average 5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.
Many countries are unlikely to meet their pledges.
After his speech, Harper told reporters that Canada has been asked to join the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, also known as the AP6.
The group includes major greenhouse gas emitters like China, the U.S. and India.
"The Asia-Pacific Six will become the Asia Pacific Partnership, because Canada has been invited to join," said Harper. "This will be another international forum where Canada can pursue its objectives in terms of fighting climate change."
Bali negotiations
Monday's conference aims to build confidence ahead of the UN Climate Convention negotiations scheduled for Bali, Indonesia, in December.
Environmentalists are hoping discussions will help set in place some momentum for a new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the assembly Monday that "the time for doubt" on the issue of climate change has passed.
In his speech, the UN chief seemed to address what some see as an effort by the U.S. to open a separate negotiating track.
"The UN climate process is the appropriate forum for negotiating global action," Ban told the assembly.
Later in the week, Environment Minister John Baird will represent Canada at a conference in Washington of the world's worst polluters, hosted by U.S. President George Bush.
Ban also said inaction on the issue will "prove the costliest" in the long term.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also spoke Monday, claiming individual states were taking strong action.
Despite a resistance by the Bush administration to emissions caps, Schwarzenegger and a Democrat-led legislature have approved a law requiring industries within the state to reduce greenhouse gases by an estimated 25 percent by 2020.
"California is moving the United States beyond debate and doubt to action," Schwarzenegger said. "What we are doing is changing the dynamic."
Still, no dramatic change in stance from the U.S. is expected to come out of Monday's discussions.
"The big emitters like the United States, China, India, Brazil and Russia -- they don't want to really take concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," CTV Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife said Monday from New York.
"This is going to be a big one-day effort but it's probably going to fail."
The assembly is also expected to hear from such international figures as Al Gore, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The one-day event takes place a day before the opening of the UN General Assembly's annual General Debate.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
