Personally I think that the Kyoto Accord is a great initial step towards a sustainable future. But it will take some arm twisting to implement, both for the consumer and business.

The government must take the lead role and use the media and proper incentives to implement the Kyoto Accord. I don’t think that today’s high energy prices are enough to persuade consumers that they need to be more energy efficient.

Just take a look at the sales of SUVs and trucks, they retain their popularity, but gas prices keep rising. Gas guzzling SUVs and trucks may just be a fad, since there are alternatives; hybrid cars are available today and hybrid SUVs are coming to market soon. Honda is even coming out with a production fuel cell car that will require no gas. But, when will the average Canadian consumer purchase a hybrid of fuel cell vehicle. I think that there needs to be a popular shift in our environmental values.

Vehicles are just one example, since there are many ways we can save energy. But I think that it is the responsibility of the government to persuade Canadians to be more energy conscious, since they were the ones that ratified the Kyoto Accord. The government should undertake a media campaign on energy efficiency, like the commercial they have out now, but on a grander scale. This will hopefully make Canadians consider the impact they are having on the environment. I think it is the governments job to start a shift in public opinion towards sustainable development through incentives and the media. And once consumers are more concerned of the environment and sustainable development, a demand will grow that will influence business.

This does not mean that businesses can’t take the lead. But a demand by consumers for sustainable development would definitely make a large incentive. So would government regulations that reward sustainable development, but allow profitable business.

In summary, I think that the government has a lot of work a head of them, but it is in all our best interest.