The numbers are in and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and US President George Bush should be forced to eat crow.

As leaders of North America’s two largest countries, Harper and Bush have been vocal critics of the Kyoto Protocol, binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and a tax on carbon.

A German environmental group last month named the northern European state of Sweden as the country doing the most in the world to protect against climate change.

Germanwatch’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of the 56 countries that are responsible for 90 percent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.

Canada came in fourth from the bottom at 53 and the United States fell two places from last year’s ranking to second from the bottom. Saudi Arabia retained its last place finish from 2006.

Australia, one of two countries – the other is the US – that refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol was sandwiched between Canada and the US at 54 on the Germanwatch list.

By contrast, Sweden has moved to the forefront of the world’s “green” nations by setting an ambitious goal to achieve a completely oil-free economy by 2020, replacing all fossil fuels with renewable alternatives.

Swedish greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.7 percent between 2005 and 2006. The emissions have decreased by nearly nine percent from 1990 levels. This means Sweden has reduced its emissions by 12.7 percent more than the country agreed to under the Kyoto Protocol.

In the same 1990 to 2006 time period, figures from Statistics Sweden show that the economy, in fixed prices, grew by 44 percent. Both Harper and Bush have repeatedly said that meeting the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol would wreck havoc with their country’s economies.

“Developments in Sweden give us a chance to show other countries that are doubtful that it is possible to reconcile economic growth with emissions reductions,” said Swedish Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren. “This means we can both encourage industrialized countries that have not yet done enough and convince developing countries that sustainable development of society is possible.”

The Scandinavian nation is pioneering solutions and setting an example for the rest of the world to follow while using tactics that Harper and Bush have labelled unworkable.

In the energy sector, economic instruments such as energy and carbon dioxide taxes have proved to be of great significance, as have electricity certificates that bind utilities to buy power from renewable sources.

In the transport sector, carbon taxes have contributed to mitigating the increase in emissions due to an overall increase in traffic levels. A tax exemption for biofuels has contributed to an increase in biofuels use and grants to green car buyers have swelled the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Bans on the landfilling of combustible and organic waste have also helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sweden continually checks on its progress to reduce carbon emissions and regularly updates and evaluates new economic instruments that can reduce emissions.

A new index of the climate impact of new cars ranks all 290 Swedish municipalities on the basis of the average carbon dioxide emissions of new cars. The aim is for the municipalities and their businesses, citizenry and vehicle dealers to join forces in trying to reduce emissions from new cars.

In a country where winters can get witheringly cold, what are the chances you could find a house without the need for a heating system?

Pretty good in the city of Lindas in Sweden where 20 houses were built south of Goteborg. The homes were outfitted with excellent windows, increased insulation and an air-to-air heat exchanger. These features added about $7,000 to the cost, but since a heating system was dispensed with altogether, there was an immediate savings of $4,000.

The net cost of $3,000 for the extra insulation and other features had a simple payback of less than four years and free heating for the remainder of the life of the house.

Even though Germanwatch says Sweden should not rest on its laurels and realize it could do even more to reduce emissions, Sweden is light years ahead of Canada.

In the fall of 2006, Stephen Harper’s government asked the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy to provide advice on how Canada could significantly reduce its GHG and air pollutant emissions by 2050.

Last week the advisory body rendered its verdict – a carbon tax was a priority.

Did Harper’s government listen to this advice? It took only one day for the Conservative government to signal thumbs down to this answer to global warming.

We are told new rules are coming early this year to force industry to reduce overall emissions or pay up.

Sweden has shown us the way. If we can’t lead, there’s no shame in following. If we can’t even follow, then maybe we need someone new at the helm.

Michael Jessen has authored more than 600 articles about the environment since 1989. He can be reached by telephone at 250-229-5632 or by e-mail at zerowaste@shaw.ca.