Canada is reportedly holding up a resolution at the Commonwealth summit in Uganda which calls for binding climate change targets, sources have confirmed.
Environmentalists and Commonwealth sources claim Canada has problems with the resolution despite virtually all other countries in attendance, except Australia, supporting it.
Â鶹´«Ã½ reporter David Akin says many countries frustrated by Canada's stance have gone to the media in an effort to put pressure on the Canadian delegates.
"Mr. Harper presented his views (to delegates) and they weren't very well received," Akin told Â鶹´«Ã½net's Mike Duffy Live on Friday evening.
"A lot of the countries want to come out of the Commonwealth (meeting) with some firm statements, some firm targets."
The Harper government has rejected firm Kyoto-style targets for greenhouse gas reductions. The Conservatives have said they would like to see flexible targets with more emphasis placed on improving technology to deal with climate change issues.
The Commonwealth resolution calls for global emission targets and comes ahead of next month's UN-sponsored meeting in Bali, Indonesia, where negotiations will be made to find a successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol.
Climate Action Network Canada claims other international environmentalists told them that Canada and Australia are holding out on the resolution, reports CP.
Several Commonwealth sources also told CP that almost all nations in attendance have agreed to the binding targets.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband refrained from identifying Canada as being in disagreement to the resolution.
However, he did say that a few of the countries will only accept the targets if everyone else does so first.
Pakistan's suspension
Queen Elizabeth opened the summit today after a committee voted Thursday to suspend Pakistan from the organization.
Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was absent as most leaders from the 53-nation Commonwealth gathered in Kampala for three days of talks.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a committee of nine foreign ministers, voted to suspend Pakistan from the Commonwealth on Thursday because of Musharraf's failure to end emergency rule and meet a deadline to restore democracy in the country.
In an opening address Friday, the Queen said the Commonwealth is committed to "addressing the great preoccupations and concerns of our times.''
"No single society has achieved perfection, and there is no single recipe for success,'' she said.
The leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper are discussing a wide range of issues including climate change, democracy, education, international trade and the problems facing small states.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting involves member states all linked together by Britain's colonial legacy.
Along with the giants like Britain, Canada, India, Pakistan and Nigeria, there are tiny member states such as Tuvalu, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
After the summit, Harper will travel to Tanzania, Canada's biggest recipient of foreign aid in Africa.
Harper is on his first trip to Africa as prime minister.
With files from The Canadian Press
