Why wouldn't the Ministry of the Environment want to boast about how it regulates industrial gas emissions? A coalition of BC forestry companies, in a submission to the Western Climate Initiative, held the Ministry up as an example that should be followed when it comes to regulating emissions. According to the forest companies: "...the WCI should not require mandatory verification. Rather, an approach similar to regulatory reporting should be embraced that requires regulated sectors to self report carbon using defined protocols and tools. The jurisdiction would have the right to audit the data as they do today in BC regarding all emissions reporting."

The Campbell government must have been impressed with the submission from BC's forestry companies since it put their recommendation into law with Bill 18, 2008 Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Cap and Trade) Act. I was so curious about why the Campbell government would prefer self reporting and occasional audits over the European model of mandatory verification, that I submitted a freedom of information request to the Ministry of the Environment asking for reports on how the system applauded by the forest industry actually works.

I have now received the response from the Ministry of the Environment: "We have now completed out consultation with the Office of the Premier. I regret to inform you that we cannot provide you with the records you requested as they consist of information that is excepted from disclosure under the Act." The letter went on to quote Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act about excluding from disclosure records that would reveal the substance of the deliberations of Cabinet (Executive Council).

It is hard to believe that documents which explain how the current system of regulating reportable gas emissions could be excluded from disclosure because they would reveal cabinet confidences. Consequently, I have filed an appeal with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Commissioner.

If the recent experience of the CBC is any indication (it took them four years to get documents with respect to their casino money laundering investigation), I won't hold my breath to get this resolved before the ice caps melt.

Verification is a key issue for the operation of any cap and trade system which hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to establish a market to trade emission permits. If polluters can get away with cheating, the emission permits would be worthless and the objective of reducing greenhouse gases would be frustrated. That is why the cap and trade system adopted by the European Union requires independent verification, and that is why the system put forward in the Campbell government's Bill 18 isn't worth the cost of recycling a government news release.