28/11/2005
– The Government of Canada today released a discussion draft
of cross-cutting provisions of proposed regulations that
will govern greenhouse gas emission reductions from large
industrial facilities. The draft provisions are in keeping
with commitments outlined in: “Moving Forward on Climate
Change: A Plan for Honouring our Kyoto Commitment”. Large
Final Emitters (LFEs) - the oil and gas, thermal electricity,
and mining and manufacturing sectors - are expected to achieve
a 45 megatonne reduction between 2008 and 2012.
“In order to preserve and protect our environment from the
effect of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, the Government
of Canada is working hand-in-hand with provinces, territories,
the industry sector, other stakeholders, and all Canadians,”
said the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the
Environment. “A well-designed approach dealing with the
environment can be a powerful tool for maintaining a competitive
green economy.”
Together with the announcement on November 22 of the additional
six greenhouse gases (GHG) to Schedule 1 of the CEPA, releasing
the discussion draft of cross-cutting provisions of proposed
regulations is the next step as the Government moves forward
in reducing Canada’s GHG emissions, and makes steady progress
towards the plan, while maintaining a sustainable environment
and competitive economy.
The draft cross-cutting provisions of the proposed regulations
have been posted on Environment Canada’s website at www.ec.gc.ca/CEPAregistry
for a public review and comment period which will end Monday,
January 12, 2006.
The proposed regulations will fall under the Canadian Environmental
Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). Following the public comment,
the proposed cross-cutting elements of the regulations would
be published in the Canada Gazette Part I, in early-2006.
Also in 2006, a series of sector-specific greenhouse gas
emission target regulations will be published for public
comment. The proposed cross-cutting provisions set out elements
of the proposed regulations common to all sectors, while
the sector-specific regulations will set individual emission
targets for the various sectors, as well as specific reporting
requirements.
The Government of Canada’s Climate Change Plan, in providing
for a regulatory approach to achieve the national LFE emission
reduction target, noted that CEPA 1999 allows for equivalency
agreements with provinces, territories and Aboriginal governments.
Discussions are ongoing with some provinces to develop equivalency
agreements, which would recognize a province’s regulatory
actions provided that these actions achieve an equivalent
environmental outcome. Since
the release of the plan, progress has been made on a number
of measures including the development of the domestic
Offset System, which will encourage greenhouse gas emission
reductions in sectors and activities not covered by the
proposed regulations, and the appointment on November
10, 2005, of Allan F. Amey as the head of the Climate
Fund Agency. The Climate Fund is the government's purchasing
agency for emission reductions credits from Canadian and
international sellers.
Action taken at home coupled with international measures
provides a positive path forward for Canada and other
countries to address climate change over the long term.
Canada is looking to continue this momentum when it hosts
the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal,
November 28-December 9, 2005.
The Government of Canada’s plan to meet the Kyoto target
is a component of Project Green. Project Green is a set
of policies and programs aimed at supporting a sustainable
environment, healthy population and competitive economy.
It addresses environmental and competitiveness issues
for the 21st century including measures to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions, to increase fuel and energy efficiency
and to grow our economy and protect our environment and
health.
Through Project Green’s policies and programs, Canada
can set an international example by developing effective
model solutions for the long-term health of the planet.
For more information, please visit Environment Canada’s
Greenlane www.ec.gc.ca/ceparegistry , the Government of
Canada’s Climate Change www.climatechange.gc.ca,
or the Large Final Emitters Web site www.ec.gc.ca/lfe-gef. |
