16 percent of Canada’s October 12 Throne Speech referenced the environment, more than almost any previous Throne Speech, according to
Contemporary Information Analysis Ltd.. “A clean and healthy environment is important to our long-term economic and social well-being it is central to our quality of life. Our ability to adopt innovative environmental practices and technologies will increasingly be part of Canada’s strength in the 21st century.
The Throne Speech sets out eight specific environmental undertakings. They establish a new course for the federal government that has been lacking for the past five years.
The commitments outlined in the Throne Speech are,
o meet our country’s international commitment to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gases by six percent of 1990 levels by 2010. Canada’s Climate Change Secretariat has been working hard on recommendations to the federal government on ways to achieve the target.
o set and enforce tough pollution standards. This is a departure from the “laissez faire” approach taken by the federal government since it transferred substantial responsibilities to the provinces when it signed the “Harmonization Agreement” on the
environment. The agreement ties the hands of government with polluters until the provinces have taken all possible measures. This statement seems to be aimed at reducing smog and air pollution emissions from mobile and stationary sources.
o protect species at risk and their critical natural habitat. A tough
Canadian Endangered Species Act is in the draft stage. The first draft failed to protect endangered species habitat. It is opposed by property rights groups – a difficult battle is expected.
o extend Canada’s national parks system. Parks Canada identified 39 regions across Canada
which deserve representation in the national parks system.
o provide technical assistance to developing countries so they can adopt sustainable practices. Additional funding will be committed for the Canadian International Development Agency and the International Development Research Centre to help developing countries achieve environmental improvements.
o clean up contaminated sites on federal lands and support innovative clean-up technologies. This renews a prematurely ended program to clean up contaminated sites. Canadian technology will be used to clean up the sites which will also help Canada maintain a competitive advantage in the $150 billion environmental toxic waste clean up industry.
o strengthen the government’s capacity for environmental research and place greater emphasis on sustainable development in government decision making. Until recent massive budget cuts, Canada was a leader in environmental research.
o report regularly to Canadians on progress in addressing their environmental concerns. This renews an old commitment to provide an annual “State of the Environment” report which was eliminated along with a 30 percent budget cut to Environment Canada four years ago.
Read the full text of the Throne Speech.
FROM
The Gallon Environment Letter
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