Setting targets sure makes significant emissions reductions.
Quote:
In Canada, however, discourse on climate change policy thus far has focused mainly on the selection of targets and less on evaluating the effectiveness of alternative policy designs. This focus is especially remarkable considering our lack of success in enacting policies to reduce GHG emissions. Figure 2 shows that, over the past 18 years, Canadian governments have generatedthree distinct targets for future GHG emissions and six major policy initiatives to achieve these targets. Yet Canada’s emissions have risen faster over that period than during the previous 10 years, relentlessly climbing as the
country misses one target after another.
This unfortunate history provides a compelling argument for focusing
climate policy discussions on policy effectiveness. Instead, however, politi-
cians and environmentalists remain preoccupied with debating targets: Can
Canada achieve its 2010 Kyoto target? What should the target be for 2020?
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http://www.cdhowe.org/pdf/benefactors_lecture_2007.pdf