Managing global climate change: Addressing climate change in Canadian organizations

This MDP outlines the basic concepts and general principles of climate change science, biophysical impacts, politics, policies and environmental management. A general management framework for addressing the climate change issue in Canadian organizations, based on the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, is presented and applied in a case study of Canadian Pacific Railway's operations. The results of this MDP indicate that market-based policy instruments will likely figure prominently in the government of Canada's response to the Kyoto Protocol. The full societal costs of transportation services must be evaluated in developing climate change policies and a sustainable transportation system in Canada that better reflects the full-cost of the different modes of transportation and ensures their most efficient use. Canadian Pacific Railway has implemented significant emission reductions through the acquisition of new fuel-efficient Alternating Current (AC) locomotives and track rationalization. The key factor limiting further emission reductions is the long average useful life of locomotives and the current Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) system. Further emission reductions could be achieved if the Government of Canada were to adjust the current modal inequity in the CCA system to more accurately reflect the full cost of transportation services in Canada. A variety of alternate fuels (lower carbon content fuels) can be used as a source of locomotive power. However, the time frames associated with implementing these alternate fuels is beyond Canada's Kyoto commitments because of the large capital investment in infrastructure and locomotive stock required for fuel switching and further research and development is still required. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...