Canada's New Government Working with Provinces and Territories on Climate Change

May 01, 2007

OTTAWA – The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, will meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss plans to tackle climate change and air pollution on May 28, 2007 during a meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) in Toronto, Ontario. “ This Government recognizes the significant actions provinces and territories are taking to address climate change and air pollution,” said Minister Baird. “These are serious problems for all Canadians and we praise provincial and territorial initiatives in this area . It’s good to see Premiers and Territorial leaders getting together today to continue the dialogue to tackle this important issue.  I look forward to continue working closely with my counterparts in reaching our shared goal of coordinating our efforts to tackle climate change and improve the air we breathe.”

Canada’s New Government recently announced Turning the Corner: An Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution.  It will impose mandatory targets on industry, so that we stop the increase of greenhouse gas emissions in three to five years and achieve an absolute reduction of Canada’s greenhouse gases from all sources by 150 megatonnes or 20 percent by 2020.  Our comprehensive plan will also cut air pollution from industry in half by 2015.  This can all  be achieved with the crucial and continued engagement of the provinces and territories.

Our Plan contains several elements of particular interest to provinces and territories, including a carbon trading and offsets system, equivalency agreements and the coordination with provincial plans of the technology fund to ensure it will not be used as a mechanism for the inter-regional transfer of wealth and resources . These and other issues will be discussed during the CCME meeting later this month.

“I have spoken to the chair of the Council, New Brunswick Environment Minister Roland Haché, and we have agreed this meeting will be the first of several opportunities for the federal, provincial and territorial governments to discuss better cooperation and ways to facilitate the development of a Canadian emissions trading system – the most efficient and effective approach for Canada – and the technology fund”, Minister Baird said.

The Turning the Corner Action Plan is one of several initiatives announced by Canada’s New Government to tackle climate change and reduce air pollution. One of the cornerstone initiatives is a $1.5 billion trust fund to support provinces and territories to develop technology, energy efficiencies and other projects that will provide real results on reducing greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions.   
          
Canada ’s New Government will work in close partnership with provinces and territories to promote collaborative approaches to reducing air emissions that avoid unnecessary duplication of effort so Canadians get the maximum amount of environmental benefits with the least amount of administrative and cost burden for industry.