Vancouver, B.C. -- April 6, 2010 -- Today, Canada's Environment Minister, Jim Prentice, and British Columbia's Minister of State for Climate Action, John Yap, signed an Agreement in Principle on efforts to address Climate Change.
"Effectively addressing climate change requires action by all governments in Canada. The Government of Canada is pleased to cooperate with the Province of British Columbia to coordinate our efforts to ensure a national, coherent climate change approach for all Canadians," said Minister Prentice.
"We are building a strong template for acting on climate change here in B.C. and it is great to have the ongoing support of the federal government as we move forward," said Minister Yap. "Climate change is the challenge of our generation and we need strong partnerships like this one to devise solutions that help us meet our legislative commitments while creating new economic opportunities for British Columbians."
The federal government is working closely with provinces and territories to ensure that our efforts to fight climate change reinforce one another to the greatest possible extent. Throughout summer 2009, we consulted with the provinces and territories on Canada's approach to tackling climate change.
This is the first step towards a formal Equivalency Agreement under the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 which will avoid the duplication of regulatory measures and ensure that the environmental needs of the province are met. The Government of Canada continues to work in close collaboration with the provinces and territories in developing harmonized climate change strategies with the United States.
The Government of Canada is committed to reducing our total greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, a target which reflects the importance of aligning with United States policy. Canada is taking action on a number of fronts, including implementing tough new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the automotive sector; investing billions through our Economic Action Plan to protect the environment; continuing to advance the Clean Energy Dialogue with the United States Administration; and implementing the Copenhagen Accord as the basis for a new, legally-binding international climate change agreement.
