March 13, 2007

B.C. investment to deliver real results for Canadians

Vancouver, British Columbia - Prime Minister Stephen Harper, joined by British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, today announced that Canada's New Government intends to provide British Columbia with $199.3 million, as part of a new Canada ecoTrust to support provincial projects that will result in real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.

“Canada's New Government is investing to protect Canadians from the consequences of climate change, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” said the Prime Minister. “Today's announcement recognizes British Columbia's ambitious plans in this area, and provides support for measurable progress that benefits all Canadians.”

“British Columbians have told us it is time to address the very real issue of climate change, and British Columbia has developed targets and a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Premier Campbell. “We welcome the federal government's commitment to work with us on this initiative.” 

British Columbia's funding under the Canada ecoTrust is intended to support projects consistent with British Columbia's plan to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent from current levels by 2020, roughly 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide or equivalent below current levels. The government of British Columbia has indicated that it will use the Canada ecoTrust funding to move forward on several provincial projects, which may include:

• Extracting energy from sawmill scrap and wood infested with pine beetles;
  
  
• Providing clean electricity to remote rural areas now fuelled by dirty diesel, such as electrification of Highway 37;
  
  
• Support for the development of a “hydrogen highway” a network of hydrogen fuelling stations for fuel celled buses and vehicles; and
  
  
• Support for new geothermal and bio-energy projects, including the capture of bio-gas from landfill sites.

The Canada ecoTrust for Clean Air and Climate Change will be designed to allow each province and territory to develop technology, energy efficiency, and other projects that will provide real results. The Government of Canada will work with all provinces and territories to fully develop this new, national fund.

Canada's New Government is already taking concrete action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by committing to implement aggressive regulations to reduce emissions in all sectors and bring in new initiatives in the energy and transportation sectors. The provincial initiatives supported by the Canada ecoTrust will complement those efforts.

This Canada ecoTrust will be established using part of the anticipated 2006-07 budgetary surplus. The resources for the Canada ecoTrust initiative will consist of $1.5 billion of new funding on a national basis. This funding will be contained in the upcoming federal budget and is a part of the actions to be taken on the fiscal imbalance. This new funding will be available as soon as Parliament approves that budget.