02/03/2005 - At a meeting
of the Toronto Board of Trade today, the Honourable
Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment,
declared that the Goodale Budget launches
the country well on the road to competitiveness
within a sustainable economy.
Minister Dion invited Toronto’s business community
- and their colleagues throughout Canada -
to support the government in its efforts to
transform the Canadian economy, outlining
the competitive advantages provided by an
environment-friendly economy.
The Minister outlined Budget 2005’s initiatives
to clean up the environment, protect wildlife
and natural habitats, improve our National
Parks and conserve our resources, but also
to foster the development of environmental
technologies as well as the use of greener
practices and technologies such as renewable
energies. He invited the business community
to take advantage of these opportunities to
modernize their operations and ensure their
long term competitiveness.
Mr. Dion insisted on the importance that
Budget 2005 assigns to the issues of climate
change and the reduction of our greenhouse
gas emissions.
The Minister confirmed that the improved plan
to meet our Kyoto objectives will be made
public soon. “This plan will ask each of us
to do our share. It will assign targets to
the large companies that produce high levels
of emissions. But these targets will be realistic
and designed to generate greater energy efficiency.
The Government of Canada will also do its
share. Between now and 2012, the plan will
provide for the injection of billions of dollars
into sustainable development and economic
productivity”.
The Minister pointed out an innovative measure
that was announced in the Budget and that
will greatly help Canada meet its Kyoto target:
“But it seems to me that the Goodale Budget’s
greatest innovation is the creation of a new
kind of fund, with an initial contribution
of $one billion”, he explained. “This will
be a climate fund; and from now on, this is
what it will be called. Acting as a sort of
investment bank, it will purchase reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from
concrete projects. For Canadians, opportunities
will be available in all sectors of the economy”.
M. Dion recalled that Minister Goodale, in
his Budget speech, compared the Government
of Canada’s determination to win the sustainable
economy challenge and meet its climate change
objectives with that demonstrated by the Prime
Minister when, as Minister of Finance, he
won the battle against budget deficits.
“It’s quite something when, as Paul Martin’s
Finance Minister, you refer to the battle
we fought and won against the deficit”, the
Minister declared. “Yes, Canada commits itself
- more than ever - to the fight so that we
can also bequeath to our children a healthier
environment and a more prosperous economy.
It will take more than one budget to win this
battle. It will require a truly long-term
effort”, Mr. Dion concluded.
