Achieving Our Kyoto Targets – A First Step Toward a Greener Canada

OTTAWA - February 15 , 2005 - The coming into force tomorrow (February 16^th) of the Kyoto Protocol presents both a challenge and significant opportunities to Canadians and Canada, ones that citizens want to embrace, according to the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Canada’s Minister of the Environment.

That was the message Minister Dion brought to students and faculty at Carleton University in Ottawa as he outlined his vision for a Greener Canada with its environmental and economic goals in sync for a cleaner environment, a better quality of life and a competitive economy.

“Achieving our climate change goals provides an opportunity to transform our economy,” said Minister Dion, “making our industrial sectors the cleanest in the world, making our consumers the most energy efficient and ensuring the long term sustainability of the Canadian economy.”

The Minister noted that the search for innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gases will spur Canadian companies to develop the environmental technologies necessary to reach their goals. This will result in a Greener Canada, one that has a more efficient economy, more energy from renewable sources, less waste and a new motivation and respect for nature.

“The federal budget to be tabled on February 23 will respond to Canadians’ desire for a greater effort on the environmental front,” indicated Minister Dion. Concluding his remarks, he added: “The government looks forward to implementing, with the help of all Canadians, the improved and soon-to-be-released Kyoto plan.”

For more information, please contact:

André Lamarre
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of the Environment
(819) 997-1441

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