October 24, 2002

Energy, Science and Technology Minister Tim Sale and Conservation Minister Steve Ashton will be in Ontario today and tomorrow to meet with federal ministers, industry representatives and non-governmental organizations to explain Manitoba's plan to meet the Kyoto Protocol.

"Last week Manitoba was disappointed that the federal government postponed the Joint Ministers of Environment and Energy Meeting," said Sale. "We want to stress to the federal government that we need to accelerate discussions on meeting our Kyoto commitments. Manitoba has outlined our 'Kyoto and Beyond Plan' and now it's time for the federal government to table a national plan that ensures Canada begins to reduce emissions immediately."

In advance of the Joint Ministers of Environment and Energy Meeting Monday in Halifax, Sale and Ashton are meeting with the federal Minister of Environment David Anderson and federal Minister of Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal. In addition, Sale and Ashton will also be meeting with industry representatives and environmental organizations.

"We believe that it is important that the federal government have a close look at Manitoba's plan," said Ashton. "The Manitoba plan is a balanced approach that ensures the well-being of the environment by cutting pollution while encouraging the development of clean energy. This approach recognizes the significant economic opportunities that Kyoto represents."

Ashton noted that in a recent poll conducted by Probe Research Inc., 54 per cent of Manitobans surveyed supported the ratification of Kyoto, while 17 per cent were opposed. In addition, nearly half of respondents (49 per cent) believed that the Kyoto Protocol represents an economic opportunity for Canada.

"Currently, environmental industries are the fourth largest sector of the Canadian economy," said Ashton. "By meeting our Kyoto commitments, we can build upon these opportunities, thereby creating jobs and protecting the environment."

Last week, Manitoba released its action plan on climate change that identified Manitoba's expectations for the federal government's implementation plan. As part of the plan, Manitoba has called on the development of a federal government implementation plan that will:

• result in health and environmental benefits for Canadians through reduced emission reductions in Canada;
• consider the full costs and benefits of Kyoto, including the cost of doing nothing as well as the economic benefits from increased energy efficiencies, expansion of the clean and renewable energy sector, and new technological developments;
• contain financial incentives and market signals for Canada to make the shift to a low emissions economy;
• include sector based performance measures; and
• allow all regions to share both the responsibility for meeting Kyoto targets and the benefit of economic development opportunities that will arise from meeting those targets.

"Climate change is already having an impact on Manitoba," said Sale. "It is critical that we act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so that we ensure a healthier environment for our children in the future."

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