Canada's environment is an integral part of the Canadian identity.

Who we are as Canadians - and how the rest of the world sees us - is intrinsically linked to our vast and beautiful environment.

Indeed, nature has influenced the history of Canada more than almost any other nation.

• The maple leaf became the emblem of Confederation and the symbol of our soldiers.
• From the time of the Haida and the Inuit, all of our great communities have been laid out alongside water.
• Under Laurier, the wonders of the rich prairie soil brought immigration and the birth of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
• Canada created the first national parks service in the world and was the second nation to form a Department of the Environment.

We are the heirs of this heritage.

The Prime Minister has said that the environment is one of his top priorities.

And the Finance Minister has noted that the state of our environment is inextricably linked to our country's economic performance.

Indeed, the entire cabinet is seized with this important issue.

The federal government has three priorities for its environmental agenda.

The first is Canada's natural legacy:

• the conservation of wildlife;
• the protection of habitat; and
• the sustainability of our natural resources.

The second is reducing the health impacts of environmental threats:

• improving air quality;
• improving water quality;
• addressing the special vulnerabilities of children; and
• effectively managing toxic substances.

And the third is ensuring that we meet our commitments on climate change:

• reducing our greenhouse gas emissions;
• improving our management of forests and agricultural soils; and
• investing in clean technologies and opportunities both at home and abroad.

Our goals are ambitious, but it is work that is within our grasp.

We are taking a long term, systematic approach that enables us to address immediate problems, while at the same time ensuring a sustainable environment for future generations.

Such an approach must include:

• knowledge and innovation as the foundation for action;
• domestic and international agendas operating in parallel; and
• partnerships with provinces and territories, municipalities, industry and with all Canadians.

Let me speak to each priority.

First, the conservation of Canada's extraordinary natural legacy.

Since 1993 Canada has announced the establishment of seven new national parks, six new conservation areas, two world heritage sites and the first marine park.

Through the new Habitat Stewardship Program, we are investing in the protection of over 160 species at risk and tax incentives introduced by this Government are encouraging the donation of important wilderness spaces.

But we need to do more.

Parliament needs to pass the new species at risk legislation.

We need legislative action on marine conservation areas.

We need to improve our environmental assessment legislation.

We need to consider the link between agricultural practices and environmental protection.

And we will.

Our second priority is reducing the health impacts of environmental threats, because a healthy environment is essential for a strong, sustainable economy and for the health of Canadians.

We introduced a $6 billion federal-provincial-municipal program focused on green infrastructure.

This program provides funds for, among other things, water and wastewater initiatives.

With respect to clean air, we signed an agreement with the United States to reduce smog from vehicles by 90 percent by the end of this decade.

We have entered into a ten-year plan with the provinces and territories to improve air quality in Canada.

We have set national standards for clean air.

And in less than a year, we will have much cleaner gasoline when the first cuts in sulphur content come into effect.

We have put in place a strong and innovative environmental protection act.

We have demonstrated global leadership to rid the planet of dangerous persistent organic pollutants.

These are clear actions that are leading to real results.

But, as a nation, as partners, as citizens, we have the responsibility to do more and to do better.

We need to consider new research on pesticides and toxic contaminants in drinking water.

It is not out of reach for us to work with partners to reduce smog-causing emissions from major industrial sources by 50 percent or to reduce the smog coming from the U.S. by 40 percent.

We need to look at the investments in science needed to develop optimum strategies for controlling air pollution.

And, we need to look at developing regional strategies and strategies for key industrial sectors.

And through it all, our efforts must take into account the special sensitivity of Canada's children. Our air and water standards must be based on what is healthy for them.

The third priority of the government's environmental agenda is climate change, and this is what Minister Goodale and I would like to focus on today.

The world's climate is changing and is doing so at an unprecedented rate. The principal cause is human activity.

Without action, the long term consequences will be dramatic. On these facts, the vast majority of the world's leading climate scientists are in agreement.

The effects will be more marked in Canada than in many other countries because of our northern latitude. The impact on our agricultural economy, our fishing stocks, our water supplies and many other aspects of our current way of life will be significant.

But by building on past actions and by acting today, we can contribute to a better, more secure tomorrow.

Based on coordinated, sustained and informed action by governments, industry, interest groups and individual Canadians, the Government of Canada last year committed more than $1 billion to climate change initiatives:

• initiatives that support innovative technologies, renewable energy production, energy efficiency and sustainable use of our forests and agricultural lands.
• initiatives building on the $800 million the Government of Canada has spent on actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since 1995.

And your federal government is providing leadership by cutting its own greenhouse gas emissions by more than five times the percentage target set for the rest of the country.

This past summer, thanks to the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister Gray, who led the Canadian climate change delegation to Bonn, agreement was reached by 178 nations on the primary rules for implementing global climate change reductions under the Kyoto Protocol.

And just a few weeks ago we reached a final agreement in Marrakech on crucial legal and technical details for the implementation of the Protocol.

We now have clarity on key issues for Canada:

• that the sound management of forest and agricultural soils will be recognized in the fight against climate change;
• that the international market for emissions will be workable with no restrictions on trading; and
• that the compliance regime will be fair, reasonable and balanced.

Countries also agreed to explore the issue of clean energy exports.

The agreement reached in Marrakech and the climate change measures we have initiated to date will bring Canada a significant way to meeting our commitments.

As the Prime Minister has clearly stated, the agreement opens the way for Canada to consider a decision on ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

We have the rules in place and now we need to work together to determine the means by which we will meet the rest of our climate change responsibilities.

Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Energy and the Environment agreed in September to prepare Action Plan 2002 for consideration early next year.

As well, the Prime Minister's National Roundtable on the Economy and the Environment will soon be holding meetings from coast to coast to raise awareness on how a domestic emissions trading system might work.

The federal government will continue its consultations with stakeholder groups across Canada and we will work to include all Canadians in this major undertaking.

We will also continue discussions with the United States to encourage a strong compatibility of - and commitment to - action on climate change. We want to encourage our American neighbours to take meaningful action.

Today, we are ready to move forward with 28 initiatives worth $425 million.

I look at these not as government programs but invitations - invitations to provinces and territories and to Canadians in all regions and sectors to work with each other and with the Government of Canada to see what we can accomplish together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and to reduce those emissions in ways that meet all of our objectives.

An invitation to owners and builders of commercial buildings to use new technology to save energy and money; an invitation to the petroleum sector to work together to find commercially acceptable ways of capturing and storing carbon dioxide; an invitation to all sectors to share technical information, develop new technologies and bench-mark ourselves against the best in the world; an invitation to all consumers to buy the most efficient vehicles and equipment that meets their needs; and invitation to farmers to plant shelter belts and improve their soils - and reduce GHG emissions at the same time.

Canadians of all walks of like have the opportunity to go beyond the "can we", "should we" debate about climate change and combine our efforts to do the best we can - to reduce harmful emissions and meet our personal and economic objectives at the same time.

It is this spirit of co-operation, and the energy it will unleash, that will enable us to meet our environmental goals. Not dry government programs. The initiatives simply provide the forum and the structure for us to work together.

Help us make these initiatives work for you. They are all practical, affordable and readily do-able next steps to reduce our emissions.

We are already seeing in Canada the ability to grow our economy without growing our greenhouse gas emissions. In 1999, the past year for which data is available, the economy grew by 4.5% while emissions only went up by 1.5%. These initiatives we are announcing today will help turn the tide even further with technologies and strategies that are available for our use today.

While governments and the private sector have a big role to play in addressing climate change, we cannot forget the difference that individuals, as consumers, can make, and must make:

• by purchasing the most energy-efficient equipment and vehicles that meet our needs;
• by using public transit, or walking or cycling more; and

• by integrating energy-efficiency into our daily lives, just like we have with recycling.

And I am pleased to celebrate the continued efforts of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities who are here today to launch the next round of projects under the Green Municipal Funds.

Industry also has an important role to play.

Like the industrial revolution, and the information technology revolution, we are now on the cusp of the clean energy revolution. Let us seize the moment and be true leaders. Clean, sustainable, energy can do much more than just reduce the risk of climate change and ensure cleaner air. It can also bring jobs, investment income and a competitive edge.

Canada has considerable expertise in clean energy and energy efficiency, and there will be vast new markets for our know-how.

Eileen Claussen, President of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, recently noted that companies "know that their climate-friendly investments will pay off. And they see that taking action now and not later can drive new efficiencies, performance improvements and innovation."

These investments, coupled with those of the Federal government and all Canadians, can and will pay dividends. Dividends for our economy, our people and our environment. Our economic growth doesn't have to sacrifice our natural heritage. Our economic growth can contribute to it.

Thirty years ago, Prime Minister Trudeau and other world leaders met in Stockholm to address environmental issues for the first time.

We have made real progress in three decades. But we have much more to do.

Canada's three-part environmental agenda - protecting our natural legacy, promoting a healthy environment, and addressing climate change - deals with the priorities of Canadians.

The Prime Minister and his entire team understand that the environment must be more than a government-wide priority. The environment must be a national priority.

And on climate change alone, the $425 million in initiatives being announced today will assist all sectors of industry and Canadians at large in making a measurable difference.

Let me leave you with one final thought. The Prime Minister recently wrote to business leaders, and I quote:

"The Government of Canada addressed fiscal deficits to avoid leaving a burden for future generations. Likewise, it would be irresponsible to leave an environmental deficit of climate disruptions and pollution for future Canadians."

We all have a role to play in preserving our environment for those who will follow us. Our children deserve nothing less than our best and most concerted efforts.

Thank you.