Intergovernmental Affairs

Council of the Federation commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (07/08/10)

NB 1016

Aug. 13, 2007

MONCTON (CNB) - The Council of the Federation today committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to address the impacts of climate change. A range of concrete actions to achieve these goals are set out in Climate Change: Leading Practices by Provincial and Territorial Governments in Canada released by the Council today.

(Multimedia)

All provincial and territorial premiers agreed to implement energy conservation strategies and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within their own jurisdictions, according to each province's and territory's plan for climate change. They further committed to:

• measurement and verification: develop consistent and verifiable measurement of greenhouse gas emissions by joining The Climate Registry;
• renewable energy: collectively produce an additional 25,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020 through sources such as hydro, wind, solar and tidal;
• alternative fuels: work together to develop strategies to implement a national biofuels and hydrogen distribution system, to ensure that Canadians have access to alternative fuels;
• research and technology: develop a comprehensive inventory of research currently under way to identify areas of focus for future work and potential partnerships.
• education: include climate change within their school curricula;
• energy efficiency and conservation: develop and implement programs, standards or incentives aimed at improving energy efficiency in buildings, and promoting the use of energy efficient appliances, vehicles and other energy-using products;
• methane capture: commit to recapturing methane gas from large landfills.

The premiers agreed that by using leading-edge sustainable forestry and agricultural management techniques, Canada's forestry and agricultural industries could be positioned to provide carbon offsets.

The premiers further agreed that the Council of the Federation will hold a conference on adaptation to climate change in early 2008, hosted by Premier Gordon Campbell.

In recognition of the importance of climate change, the premiers have decided to make climate change a central and ongoing agenda item of the Council at future meetings.

For more information on the 2007 Council of the Federation meetings in Moncton, or for copies of the reports, visit the website at http://www.gnb.ca/cf.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Nicole Picot, Office of the Premier, 506-453-2144, 506-447-9942 (cell), nicole.picot@gnb.ca.

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