Read: Economists denounce Harper "Climate Plan"

The Harper plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions plans to use "carbon intensity" targets as a means of measuring reductions in greenhouse gas. His goal is to reduce the amount of emissions that are emitted per unit of energy that is used - a standard that still allows total emissions to increase. For example, Suncor Energy, one of the largest companies in the Alberta oil sands, announced last year that it had reduced its carbon intensity by 51 per cent between 1990 and 2006. However, thanks to huge increases in production - the company's absolute emissions increased by 131 per cent over the same period.

The only other leader in North America who advocates "carbon intensity" targets is the current US President, George W. Bush.

Harper maintains that his party's plan will enable an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 20% by 2020 - a goal that sounds similar to his principal opponents'. However, Harper uses 2006 levels as the benchmark for reductions, instead of 1990 which is the internationally recognized benchmark for greenhouse gas emission reductions - and the one used by all other political parties in North America. Thus, compared to the other parties, he is promising a cut of just three per cent from 1990.

Shortly after taking office in January, 2006, the Harper government announced that it would not honor Canada's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and was also harshly criticized for its attempts to block progress at the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) international summit in Bali, Indonesia last December.