"This brief shows that provinces can make significant progress on climate action even in the absence of federal leadership," said David Suzuki Foundation climate change policy analyst Dale Marshall, adding "Premiers need to keep their promise to make climate change a central agenda item at their meetings."

Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-RAC) is calling on premiers to create a climate-change secretariat to better co-ordinate policies and climate actions among the provinces.

"Despite promising initiatives by various provinces and territories, the lack of progress on the climate change file sends some pretty worrisome signals in terms of provinces and territories' ability to tackle this critically important issue together. Is the Council of the Federation condemned to replicate Ottawa's inability or unwillingness to act on climate change?" asked Equiterre co-founder Steven Guilbeault at the closing of the meeting.

"Each jurisdiction has their own plan to deal with climate change," Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said at the wrap-up of the conference. "We're comfortable with a diversity of approaches which get results."