Statement by Environment Minister David Anderson following the release of the U.S. proposal on clean air and climate change

OTTAWA, February 14, 2002 - Canada's Environment Minister, David Anderson today issued this statement following the release of the U.S. proposal on clean air and climate change by United States president George W. Bush:

"I welcome the renewed U.S. engagement on clean air and climate change. The U.S. contributes 25 per cent of the world's greenhouse gas, and it is vital that we are all working towards a solution.

We hope that the progress they make along this path will help lead the U.S. to rejoin the multilateral battle against climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the longer term.

We are pleased that the U.S. approach features many of the things that Canada is doing or considering doing to achieve our Kyoto target, including:

1. development of clean energy technology
2. partnerships domestically and internationally
3. incentives to spur the uptake of cleaner technology
4. technology transfer to developing nations.

We will have to study the U.S. approach closely. Based on the U.S. interest in partnerships, we want to increase our cooperation with the U.S. on clean energy technology.

In particular, we welcome the move to a cap and trade program to reduce three serious air pollutants: nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and mercury. This will help lead to cleaner air across North America and save lives of citizens on both sides of the border. Canada will do its part to reduce these pollutants here at home under our ten-year Clear Air Plan which we announced in May of 2000.

In Canada, we are continuing to move toward our Kyoto targets. We are continuing to push to meet our Kyoto Protocol commitments. Our goal is to ratify the Protocol after we have developed our implementation plan, completed our analysis of its implications and consulted with provinces, territories, stakeholders and other Canadians.

We are concerned that the U.S. continues to question the scientific basis of the climate change problem. In Canada, we accept the science of climate change. We are seeing its impacts, particularly in our northern regions, and this compels us to join in the global effort.

Canada still has much work to do. We need to conduct meaningful consultations with stakeholders, and to work on a plan that ensures there is no unrealistic burden on any one region.

We understand President Bush's emphasis on increasing energy security through conservation and development of new energy sources. Under any U.S. policy scenario, the environment will benefit from more cleaner fuels being used in the US. Canada can help meet those goals through further energy developments.

This underlines the importance of our continuing to aggressively pursue recognition of the benefits of greater use of clean energy.

For our part in Canada, we must keep focused on our climate change goals.

We agree with the Globe and Mail in its recent editorial on the need to stick with the Kyoto Protocol, and the business sense in doing so:

"There may be some short-term pain -- how much is not clear -- but the case for controls on greenhouse gases will grow more compelling, not less, as warming accelerates, and those countries that can cut their emissions at the lowest possible cost will ultimately be more competitive, not less."

Related documents:

• Climate Change Web Site [information collection]