OTTAWA, March 10,
2008 -The Government of Canada today published
details of the Turning the Corner regulatory
framework originally announced on April
26, 2007. The documents, posted to Environment
Canada's website, provide additional details
about how the Government of Canada will
move forward with its plan to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
This plan includes mandatory
reductions for industry, along with additional
new measures to address two of Canada's
key emitting sectors: oil sands and electricity.
"Last April, this
government made a commitment to Canadians
to cut our greenhouse gas emissions an absolute
20% by 2020," said Canada's Environment
Minister John Baird. "Today, we are
announcing the details of those tough measures
that will put us on a path to meet our commitments."
Tough federal regulation
of industry's greenhouse gas emissions will
help achieve the Government's commitment
to a 20% reduction in Canada's overall emissions
by 2020, and will be the most important
driver of change for moving Canada to a
low-emission economy.
As announced in the
Turning the Corner plan last April, the
details of the plan include:
• Establishing a market price for carbon;
• Setting up a carbon emissions trading
market, including a carbon offset system,
to provide incentives for Canadians to reduce
their greenhouse gas emission.
In addition, today's detailed regulations
include new measures like:
• Setting a target that will effectively
require oil sands starting operations in
2012 to implement carbon capture and storage;
and,
• Effectively banning the construction of
new dirty coal plants starting in 2012.
"Our regulations
will apply to all big industry," said
Minister Baird. "From the oil industry
to chemical companies; from smelters to
pulp and paper mills, all big industry will
have to do their part."
In order to refine and
improve the regulatory approach, the Government
consulted extensively with environmental
groups, industry and other stakeholders
over the past year. This period of consultation
was important to ensure Canada's regulations
would result in real reductions of greenhouse
gases. The Government worked to accommodate
stakeholder views where reasonable, but
remained focused on the primary objective
of keeping its commitment to reduce greenhouse
gases.
As announced last April,
regulated industries will face mandatory
reductions that require companies to reduce
emissions 18 % by 2010 for every unit of
production. The details published today
specify how the targets will apply to each
industry sector, how the offsets and trading
systems will work and how credits will be
provided to companies that took early actions
to reduce their emissions.
We also believe more
can be done on electricity. The federal
government will establish a task force to
work with the provinces and industry to
reduce emissions even further by 2020, through
increased hydro, renewable and nuclear electricity
production and through further development
of the national grid. If necessary, regulations
remain an option.
Companies will be able
to choose the most cost-effective way to
meet their emission reduction targets from
a range of options: in-house reductions,
contributions to a capped time-limited technology
fund, domestic emissions trading and offsets
and access to the United Nations' Clean
Development Mechanism. Companies that have
already reduced their greenhouse gas emissions
prior to 2006 will have access to a limited
one-time credit for early action.
Proposed greenhouse
gas regulations are expected to be published
in the Canada Gazette later this year, and
the regulations finalized in 2009 to come
into force as planned on January 1, 2010.
Addressing industrial
emissions is just one part of the Government's
plan to reduce greenhouse gases and air
pollution. With a long-term goal that envisions
greenhouse gas emission reductions of 60
to 70% by 2050, Turning the Corner will
continue to evolve as new technology and
new ways of improving our environment are
discovered.
For more information
on what the Government is doing to reduce
greenhouse gases and air pollution, visit
www.ecoaction.gc.ca or call 1 800 O-Canada
(1 800 622-6232, or TTY 1-800-926-9105).
Related Document:
Turning the Corner
Éric Richer
Office of the Minister of the Environment
