All 10 provinces have agreed to a northern Canadian initiative to research adaptation measures to climate change, while at the same time agreeing to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases, said Premier Dennis Fentie.

Contrary to national media reports, the conference was bogged down by disagreements between Alberta and Ontario. Provincial and territorial leaders have made real progress on global warming by vowing to support alternative energy production and emissions reduction measures, Fentie said via telephone from Moncton, N.B. this morning.

The premier was in Moncton this week meeting with the leaders of the provinces and territories at the Council of Federation, where the main topics were climate change and energy.

'The national media down here, and I certainly take no issue with it, but they certainly were trying very hard to create conflict amongst the provinces, especially between Ontario and Alberta,' Fentie said.

'The impetus for that approach by the national media has to do with this idea of cap and trading (of emissions).

'The issue that's being played up by the national media down here about the disagreement between Ontario and Alberta is simply a red herring.'

National media, including the National Post, reported today that Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach remain at odds over how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

McGuinty, according to the National Post, is seeking an emissions cap from Alberta before committing to more strict automobile standards, while Stelmach maintains any emissions caps on Alberta's oil industry would hurt the province's and the nation's economy.

Fentie said all premiers walked away with firm commitments to invest in alternative energy production, the creation of an emissions measurement system and to research climate change.

'The climate change issue was dealt with very constructively here and we've come to agreement on a number of measures that will result in real reductions of emissions in southern Canada.

'We've all agreed to establish and commit to a measurement and verification system through a registry,' Fentie said.

'We all recognize and will be focusing on further renewable energy. The commitment there, throughout this country, is to produce an additional 25,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020 through hydro, wind, solar and tidal alternative sources.'

Researching alternative fuels, he added, was also agreed to.

Fentie said increasing the production of alternative energy and working with alternative fuels would lead to a real reduction in greenhouse gases, unlike an emissions cap and trade system, which he does not agree with.

'First off, that's not a real reduction in emissions, and I can tell you I really respect Premier (Ed) Stelmach's position.

'Alberta is one of the few jurisdictions in this country that has boldly stepped forward and will be implementing a levy on emissions on $15 a tonne.

'They're going reinvest that money, as they should, to be better able to continue to reduce emissions in Alberta. Instead of buying room to emit, through cap and trading, Mr. Stelmach was very clear, he'd much rather invest his own money in Alberta and in the North on adaptation,' he said.

Fentie said he was pleased all provinces have agreed to the North's initiative to research adaptive measures to climate change.

'I'm very pleased to be able to announce that we have the full support of provinces nationally, not just in the west, to deal with climate change by the inclusion of adaptation.

'What's very encouraging is the issue of adaptation which the North has brought forward and we now have national support from all 10 provinces,' he said.

'Premier Campbell has graciously offered to host, in February 2008, a major conference on adaptation as it relates to climate change in British Columbia.'

This morning, Liberal Leader Arthur Mitchell said he was pleased to see some progress being made by the Yukon Party on climate change issues, but wondered why it has taken so long for the Fentie government to act.

'I'm glad that the premier is starting to pay attention to this,' he said.

Mitchell said he was disappointed the Fentie government did little to address climate change in their first mandate and instead focused solely on economic development.

'I'd like to see them treat this the same way they deal with mining.'