Canadians want immediate action taken to reduce pollution so their families have cleaner air to breathe and so that Canada does its part in world-wide efforts against global warming.

The re-writing of the government’s ineffective and inadequate Bill C-30, the Clean Air Act by the special legislative committee provides a significant opportunity to get Canada on track to reduce pollution and to combat climate change.

With a new Bill, Parliament can ensure meaningful and immediate action is taken so Canadians can see improvements to the quality of the air they breathe in their lifetime as well as to protect the planet for their children and grandchildren.

The NDP is proposing a series of comprehensive changes to Bill C-30 that re-commits Canada to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments in the short-term, and ensures a comprehensive plan to meet science-based and internationally recognized medium and long-term goals as well.

Leading-up to and throughout the special committee’s work, the NDP will continue to seek input and additional amendments from environmental experts and individual Canadians.

The NDP’s Proposed Amendments

• Legislate through the new Act, rather than regulations, short-, medium- and long-term targets for absolute greenhouse gas reductions by requiring Canada to meet:
  • its Kyoto Protocol 2008-2012 target;
  • a science-based 2050 target of 80% below 1990 levels; and
  • interim targets at five year intervals between 2015 and 2050.
• Legislate in the Act, rather than in the Notice of Intent, an earlier deadline for regulating the industrial sector. These regulations to be in place by 2008.
• Legislate in the Act, rather than through regulations, a hard cap on greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector of at-least 45 megatonnes per year.
• Legislate in the Act a requirement to develop mandatory standards for “criteria air contaminants” within one year of the new Act’s passage, along with a plan to meet these standards that include mandatory emission standards for large industrial facilities.
• Legislate in the Act, a requirement for a vehicle fuel efficiency standard, in line with leading North American jurisdictions, to be published by 2008, to be in place for the 2011 model year in order that vehicle manufacturers have due notice in advance of the expiry of the voluntary Memorandum of Understanding. This would be accompanied by a new authority for the government to establish a just-transition fund for the automobile sector.
• Legislate in the Act, a requirement for the government to establish a cap and trade carbon market system in Canada.
• Eliminate key tax incentives to the oil and gas sector, in particular the accelerated capital cost allowance provided to oil sands development.
• Protect the government’s authority to regulate air pollutants and greenhouse gases to ensure that it is not vulnerable to court challenges by industry.
• Maintain effective provincial equivalency rule in the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
• Add new authority for the Environment Minister to designate “significant areas” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, thereby being able to designate “hot zones” such as the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin.
• Legislate in the Act, a requirement that programs for implementing the legislative targets be reviewed for their adequacy annually.
• Due to these fundamental changes, the new Act would be re-named the Healthy Air and Climate Act.

Additional Measures

• The NDP will seek to have the government exercise its authority under the Energy Efficiency Act to establish a national advanced energy efficiency program for home retrofits.
• To complement the improved motor vehicle measures, the NDP will seek timely implementation of measures contained in the NDP’s Green Car Industrial Strategy.
• The NDP will seek to have the federal government immediately initiate incentives to foster non-polluting, green industry growth in Canada including green manufacturing, green energy and green technologies.