SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After going on a whirlwind trip through the territory, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is ready to revamp the NWT greenhouse gas strategy.

Jim Sparling, manger of climate change programs for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, stands in his office last Friday. - Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison/NNSL photo

Between April 6 and May 11, public consultations were held in 12 communities, from Fort McPherson to Fort Liard to determine exactly what it will encompass.

Project manager Jim Sparling, who has worked at ENR for 20 years, said the overwhelming response was that people are ready to get serious about climate change.

"People want us to adopt targets that show leadership internationally. They want the targets to be achievable," he said.

"We need to be able to talk to the international community about the impacts we're feeling. We need to come to them from a credible position."

Over the past 50 years, average temperatures in the NWT have risen at a rate four to five times faster than average global temperatures and Inuvik has warmed the fastest, with an increase of 2.7 degrees.

Impacts like shorter winter road seasons, increased coastal erosion, melting permafrost and changing water levels can already be seen.

Even though greenhouse gas emissions in the NWT account for only 0.3 per cent of Canada's total emissions, the average Northerner emits 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent while the average Canadian emits 22 tonnes.

Sparling said although the new greenhouse gas strategy for 2011-2015 won't be tabled in the legislative assembly until August, he can already say it will change in one significant way -- instead of setting targets for the GNWT's emissions, it will set targets for the entire territory.

The previous greenhouse gas strategy just focused on shrinking the government's carbon footprint, and by all accounts it was a success.

"Our goal was to reduce GNWT emissions to 10 per cent below 2001 levels by 2011, and we have every expectation that we'll meet that goal."

The two major changes they undertook was increasing the energy efficiency of government buildings and switching from oil boilers to wood pellet boilers.

To target carbon emissions territory wide, ENR is looking at ways to develop local renewable energy sources like biomass, geothermal heating, solar panels and wind energy.

In addition, ENR is researching what kind of impact a new carbon tax would have on the economy and future emissions.

"Globally there's a history of failed targets," Sparling said.

"What we have to do now is do some analysis of the kinds of things we're able to do to figure out what is achievable."

ENR is accepting comments and suggestions on the program until Friday, May 20 through it's climate change website.

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