ecoFreight

February 15, 2007

As part of its environmental agenda, Canada's New Government is launching the ecoTransport Strategy. This strategy features the ecoFreight Program--a new step to reduce the environmental and health effects of freight transportation.

ecoFreight--Meeting the challenge of sustaining a clean, healthy transportation system

Federal investment of up to $61 million over four years in this program consists of six initiatives, two of which specifically target the trucking industry:

1. National Harmonization Initiative for the Trucking Industry: With up to $6 million, this initiative from Transport Canada is designed to identify solutions with respect to national and provincial requirements that create barriers for the trucking industry to adopt currently available technologies to reduce emissions. This work will be done in partnership with the provinces and territories.
2. ecoENERGY for Fleets: With up to $22 million, this initiative from Natural Resources Canada will focus on reducing fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in commercial and institutional fleets through training and education, sharing of best practices, anti-idling campaigns, technical analysis and evaluations to identify opportunities for improvements, and other technology activities.

The other initiatives address all four modes of transportation (air, rail, road and marine), as well as users of the freight system:

3. Freight Technology Demonstration Fund: With up to $10 million, this Transport Canada initiative will provide cost-shared funding to companies in the air, rail, road and marine modes in order to test and measure the environmental and operational performance of new and underutilized freight transportation technologies. Industry partners will measure and report on results such as the fuel saved; the emissions reduced; the technology purchase, installation and training costs; and the impacts on operations, equipment and maintenance.
4. Freight Technology Incentives: With up to $10 million, this Transport Canada initiative will mitigate financial barriers to the adoption of new and under-utilized technologies, many of which currently have an initial cost premium that makes the initial financial outlay or the length of the payback period difficult. Under the program, cost-shared funding will be provided to companies and non-profit associations in all modes of the freight transportation industry for the purchase and installation of proven emission-reducing technologies.
5. Partnerships on Freight: With up to $7 million, this Transport Canada initiative will bring together a range of partners within the freight transportation sector to reduce emissions from freight transportation (road, rail, aviation and marine). Transport Canada will enhance its partnerships with other countries in international forums while developing partnerships with users of the2007-09-05 broad environmental regulatory agenda, setting targets and action plans for emission reduction in the short term in areas not suitable for regulation or before regulations take effect in 2011.
6. Marine Shore Power Program: With up to $6 million, this Transport Canada initiative will support up to four pilot projects for the installation and use of shore-based power for marine vessels in Canadian ports. With this technology, marine vessel operators would have the option to connect their vessels directly to a shore power source while in port. Many vessels are already equipped to take advantage of shore power where it is available. As no Canadian ports currently offer this service commercially, ships must idle their engines, or use diesel engine generators, in order to meet their on-board energy requirements while in port. This technology will improve local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada's largest urban centres.

Transportation is a key element of the government's environmental agenda. Keeping people and goods moving is vital to a strong economy and is critical to Canada's prosperity. A more sustainable transportation system will result in safety, social and economic benefits for all Canadians.

For more information on the ecoFreight program, please visit Transport Canada's website at www.tc.gc.ca/ecoTransport.