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SUMMARY NEWS RELEASE - Toronto,
Ontario
April 26, 2007
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Turning the
Corner: An Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution
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First time ever
will force industry to reduce greenhouse gases and air
pollution.
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The Government is
setting targets that begin immediately:
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Will impose
mandatory targets on industry, so that greenhouse gases come down
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Will achieve
our goal of an absolute reduction of 150 megatonnes by 2020.
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Will impose
targets on industry so that air pollution from industry is
cut in half by 2015.
Minister Baird
quotes:
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“Canada needs to
do a U-Turn, because we are going in the wrong direction”
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“Since the
Liberals promised to reduce greenhouse gases in 1997, they have only
gone up.”
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“Canadians want
action, they want it now and our government is delivering. We are
serving notice that beginning today, industry will need to make real
reductions.”
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“In as little as
three years, greenhouse gases could be going down, instead of up,”
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“After years of
inaction,Canada now has one of the most aggressive plans to tackle
greenhouse gases and air pollution in the world.”
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Companies will be
able to choose the most cost-effective way to meet their targets from a
range of options:
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in-house
reductions,
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contributions to
a capped technology fund,
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domestic
emissions trading and offsets and
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access to the
Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism.
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Companies that
have already reduced their greenhouse gas emissions prior to 2006 will
be rewarded with a limited one-time credit for early action.
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Tough industrial
regulations will have real, tangible health and environmental benefits
for Canadians, and these, in turn, will have many positive economic
effects.
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The Government’s
“Turning the Corner” Plan will promote:
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investment in
technology and innovation
in Canada,
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long-term
economic benefits
from enhanced productivity,
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improved energy
efficiency,
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greater
competitiveness,
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more opportunity
to sell Canadian environmental products abroad,
and
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more jobs for
Canadians.
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In addition to
measures to reduce air emissions from industry, this Government is
committed to addressing emissions from transportation by:
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regulating for
the first time
the fuel efficiency of cars and light duty trucks, (beginning
with the 2011 model year).
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strengthen
energy efficiency standards
for energy-using products, including:
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light bulbs,
and for the first time ever,
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Government has
recognized the urgent need to take action to improve indoor air
quality and committed to implement measures to do so.
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