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McGuinty Government Unites With Provinces, States Tackling Climate Change
TORONTO, July 18 /CNW/ -
NEWS
North America's largest green partnership intends to recognize Ontario as
a member of the regional climate program.
The province is slated to be the newest member of the Western Climate
Initiative (http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/) (WCI), a group of
provinces and states working together to find regional solutions to climate
change. Ontario will join British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and seven U.S.
states in the coalition.
Members are required to have aggressive plans to fight climate change.
Ontario is a world leader with its commitment to phase out coal-fired
generation. The province has set some of the toughest greenhouse gas reduction
targets in North America: six per cent below 1990 levels by 2014, 15 per cent
by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050.
Ontario has taken a number of other actions to fight climate change,
including:
<<
- Investing in public transit, including the $17.5 billion-MoveOntario
2020
(http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/news/Product.asp?ProductID=1383)
plan.
- Partnering with Quebec to develop a regional cap-and-trade system
(http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/news/Product.asp?ProductID=2281)
for greenhouse gas emissions that can link with other trading systems.
- Protecting half of Ontario's Northern Boreal region, which fights
climate change by absorbing about 12.5 million tonnes of CO2 from the
atmosphere each year.
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QUOTES
"We're proud to be welcomed into this important organization of climate
change leaders across Canada and the United States. We all have a part to play
in the fight against climate change, and together we can leave a better world
for our children," said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
"We are committed to working with leading provincial and state
jurisdictions in jointly tackling climate change through a cap and trade
system. Our government believes that cap and trade is a fair and effective
approach that is both economically and environmentally sound," said Minister
of the Environment John Gerretsen.
<<
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario is the only place in North America that is closing down
coal-fired power plants.
- In Ontario, we can expect average temperatures to rise by as much as
three to eight degrees Celsius over the next hundred years - an
increase not seen in centuries.
- The governors of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and
Washington launched the WCI in February, 2007.
>>
LEARN MORE
Read more about climate change (http://www.gogreenontario.ca/about.php).
Get tips on how you can make changes
(http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/myenvironment/indexa.php) that will help the
environment.
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For further information: Premier's Media Office: (416) 314-8975
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