Yesterday, Federal and Atlantic Provincial Ministers of the environment met to discuss the future of clean electricity in the Maritimes.
Among those in attendance were Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, as well as the four Atlantic Provincial Ministers of the Environment:
- Minister Margaret Miller, Nova Scotia
- Minister Serge Rousselle, New Brunswick
- Minister Perry Trimper, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Minister Robert Mitchell, Prince Edward Island
After the meeting, they issued the following statement.
“The Government of Canada and the Atlantic Provinces are focused on growing the economy, encouraging innovation and creating jobs while at the same time tackling climate change and protecting our environment. This is why we are committed to working together to build a clean electricity future for the region and to adapt to the risks of climate change impacts particularly as coastal provinces.
“To that end, Ministers agreed to work with their energy counterparts to advance work on regional clean electricity planning, building on work to date on the Atlantic Energy Gateway, and to identify opportunities to reduce emissions by key sectors, including transportation, built environment, industry, agriculture, as well as spur clean technology development in the region.
“Ministers also recognized the diversity of the provincial economies and the importance of ensuring that provinces have the flexibility to design their own broad range of policies, including carbon pricing mechanisms, to meet emission reduction targets, supported by federal investments in infrastructure, emission reduction opportunities and clean technologies.
“Atlantic Ministers are pleased to have the federal government at the table, ready to help us advance the clean growth and climate change pillar of the Atlantic Growth Strategy. A strong partnership is what we need to collectively meet our shared commitments on clean growth and climate change. We look forward to continued and strengthened collaboration as we work toward our common goals.”
This past March, the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change stipulated that all First Ministers would work together to position Canada as a leader of the global clean growth economy. This involves a transition to a low-carbon economy, which can be achieved with a range of initiatives tailored to each provincial and territorial systems.
Among these initiatives are the following:
- Cleaner energy production
- Renewable and alternative energy
- Energy efficiency and storage
- Carbon pricing mechanisms
This fall, First Ministers will finalize the development of the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change.
