It’s the beginning of summer and the heat is on. With the high temperatures forecasted for tomorrow, it is fitting that three key reports on climate change are scheduled for release on Tuesday.

The first is from the Canadian government. Under the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act, the federal Minister of the Environment is required to prepare a climate change plan by May 31 of each year. Not only must the plan describe what measures the federal government has taken to meet its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, it is also supposed to outline the greenhouse gas reductions that are to occur for each year up to and including 2012.

Halfway around the world, the Australian government is moving forward with putting a price on carbon. Tomorrow, the government’s chief climate change advisor will release a report recommending new governance arrangements. The proposal would remove politicians from having direct involvement in setting emissions reduction targets and determining which sectors are to be included in a proposed carbon pricing scheme. The plan is scheduled to begin in 2012 with an initial carbon price of $20 per tonne. Administration of the scheme would be the responsibility of an independent “carbon bank” that would be responsible for issuing and auctioning permits for emissions, and for ensuring overall compliance and stability of the carbon market.

Closer to home, I will be releasing my third annual greenhouse gas progress report. In this report, I point out that the province is not on track to achieve its 2014 target, despite what appear to be promising numbers for 2009. Renewed economic growth will cause emissions to increase in the absence of stronger initiatives. Similar to what is happening in Australia, carbon pricing is a central component of any effective policy response. Tune in tomorrow for further details!