MANITOBA'S GREEN FUTURE
A Dialogue on Climate Change Action and Greening our Economy
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
at The Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Climate change is becoming the world's number one environmental and economic issue. Jurisdictions around the world are starting to prepare for the impacts of climate change and to transition to a lower carbon economy.
Already Manitoba is seen as a leader on climate change action and growing a green economy. In 2001, the Manitoba Government commissioned the Manitoba Climate Change Task Force, chaired by Dr. Lloyd Axworthy. The recommendations from that Task Force formed the basis for Manitoba’s 2002 climate change action plan “Kyoto and Beyond –A plan of action to meet and exceed Manitoba’s Kyoto targets”:
Since that time, Manitobans have been recognized for leadership in energy efficiency, renewable energy, including geothermal systems, as well as low-emitting transportation technologies including hybrid and hydrogen buses. We want to work together to continue to address and adapt to climate change as well as take advantage of emerging opportunities that can benefit all sectors and regions of our province.
On Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007, the Government of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce hosted a breakfast followed by a day long event organized by the Government of Manitoba on the future green economy for Manitoba at The Fort Garry Hotel.
Featured guest speakers included:
- The Honourable Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba - Premier Doer is recognized as an international leader on climate change and was a Co-chair of the Climate Leaders Summit in 2005. Through his leadership, Manitoba became one of the first Canadian provinces to become a member of The Climate Registry and the Western Climate Initiative.
- The Honorable Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona - Governor Napolitano is a member of The Climate Registry and the Western Climate Initiative. She is also the past chair of the U.S. National Governors' Association and second-term Democratic Governor of one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.
- The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia - Premier Campbell is a leading proponent on climate change and knows the importance of working beyond our own borders and toward a single continental approach. He is a member of the Western Climate Initiative and a founding member of The Climate Registry.
- Dr. Lloyd Axworthy - Dr. Axworthy was the chair of the Manitoba Climate Change Task Force and a former Federal Cabinet Minister. He is the President of the University of Winnipeg and the Chair of this conference.
One of the objectives of the conference was to map our continued progress toward a climate friendly green economy. The conference workshop sessions brought together key stakeholders from the business, municipal, transportation and agricultural sectors as well as representatives from Manitoba’s Aboriginal and Northern communities. Workshop participants discussed options, highlighted priorities and gained knowledge of how to succeed in Manitoba’s green future.
The conference workshop discussions have informed the development of the updated climate change action plan for Manitoba “Beyond Kyoto – Manitoba’s Green Future” and Bill 15 – The Climate Change and Emissions Reductions Act, which will help to keep Manitoba at the forefront of action on climate change. The updated plan reflects achievements to date as well as 60 actions across all sectors that will reduce emissions and that will continue to build a greener economy for our Province.
The October 23 conference workshops summaries have been posted online and can be viewed by clicking on the “conference workshop summaries” icon on the left hand margin. For information about Manitoba actions to date, we encourage you to visit our Climate and Green Initiatives Branch website at http://www.gov.mb.ca/stem/climate/index.html. Also online is the 2002 Kyoto and Beyond –A plan of action to meet and exceed Manitoba’s Kyoto targets.
Since the conference, a number of organizations such as the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, and Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters have taken steps to pursue a greener economy. These are some of the exciting next steps we hoped to stimulate with our own conference.
