Environment Minister Jim Prentice (right) and Chief Negotiator Michael Martin pose for photographs at COP15 in Copenhagen, Saturday, December 12, 2009. MARKETWIRE PHOTO/Environment Canada

OTTAWA — A hoax press release revealing new and drastic Canadian greenhouse gas reduction targets is causing a stir in the Prime Minister’s Office.

The fake release, complete with fake quotes from Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice, claims Canada was moved to change its targets after the G77 block of developing countries walked out of the Kyoto arm of the talks at the Copenhagen climate change conference.

The group did so to express a desire for developed nations to take on higher targets.

The hoax claims that Canada’s new target, titled Agenda 2020, sets binding emissions reductions targets of 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 rather than the stated Tory agenda going into the talks of cutting 3% below 1990 levels by 2020.

Dimitri Soudas, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s press secretary, was quick to discredit the press release and said he understands it may have come out of the Montreal-based environmental NGO Equiterre.

“If that’s the case, time would be better used by supporting Canada's efforts to reach an agreement instead of sending out hoax press releases,” Soudas told reporters in an email.

“More time should be dedicated to playing a constructive role instead of childish pranks.”

A media officer from Equiterre said they had nothing to do with the prank.

The press release came with links to pages that appear to be from the Wall Street Journal’s European news pages. It also had a link to a story on what appears to be the Copenhagen’s conference’s press pages reporting the release as news.

It remains unclear if these are real pages or a part of the hoax.