No. GC 008/07
For release February 15, 2007
TORONTO - The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister
responsible for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), on behalf of the Honourable
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today
announced that Canada's New Government is launching the ecoFreight program-a
series of programs, totalling up to $61 million in funding, aimed at reducing
the environmental and health effects of freight transportation.
"The Greater Toronto Area is a major transportation centre and the measures
being introduced today will go a long way towards reducing air emissions and
improving the environment," said Minister Flaherty. "Taking these significant
positive steps to improve the environment is in the best interests of everyone,
here in the GTA and across Canada."
"Canada's New Government encourages the freight industry to join the effort
as we all have a role to play in the reduction of emissions from transportation
sources, and the development of cleaner transportation systems, practices and
technologies," said Minister Cannon.
"Initiatives like these are a part of this government's ambitious and
realistic agenda to protect our environment and the health of Canadians, as well
as to promote economic growth," said the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the
Environment. "We will continue to take real action to protect the health of
Canadians and the environment by helping make freight transportation more
environmentally friendly."
The ecoFreight program is made up of six initiatives, two of which
specifically focus on the trucking industry, through the removal of regulatory
barriers and reduction of fuel use and emissions.
The other initiatives target all four modes of transportation (air, rail,
road, marine), as well as users of the freight system by establishing a Freight
Technology Demonstration Fund, providing cost-shared funding, building and
maintaining partnerships and demonstrating the potential of shore-based power.
These initiatives support the Government's ecoTransport Strategy, which is
aimed at improving the health of Canadians and the environment by reducing the
environmental impacts of transportation; securing Canada's future prosperity and
competitiveness by making critical transportation infrastructure sustainable,
both economically and environmentally; and promoting an efficient transportation
system that supports choice and the high quality of life that Canadians expect.
Prime Minister Harper recently announced the Canada ecoTrust for Clean Air
and Climate Change, which will be designed to provide financial support to
provincial and territorial projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and air pollutants. The resources for this initiative will consist of $1.5
billion of new funding on a national basis.
This new funding will be contained in the upcoming budget and is a part of
the actions to be taken on the fiscal imbalance. It will be available as soon as
Parliament approves the budget.
A backgrounder and fact sheet on the ecoFreight program are attached.
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Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Kathleen Olson
Directrice intérimaire des communications
Cabinet du ministre des Ressources naturelles, Ottawa
613-996-2007Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment, Gatineau
819-997-1441
Robin Brownee
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
Environment Canada
Media Relations
819-934-8008 / 1-888-908-8008
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
BACKGROUNDER
ECOFREIGHT--MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF
SUSTAINING
A CLEAN, HEALTHY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Canada's thriving economy relies heavily on its transportation system to move
people and goods quickly and efficiently. But transportation is also one of the
largest contributors to greenhouse gases and air pollution in Canada--key factors
that affect the health of Canadians and our planet.
As part of its environmental agenda, Canada's New Government is launching the
ecoTransport Strategy. Complemented by existing regulatory actions, this program
features ecoFreight--a new step to reduce the environmental and health effects of
freight transportation.
Federal investment in this up to $61-million program consists of six
initiatives aimed at:
Removing regulatory barriers so that the Canadian trucking industry can
embrace emissions-reducing technologies by collaborating with provinces and
territories;
Reducing fuel use and emissions in commercial and institutional fleets
via training, sharing of best practices, anti-idling campaigns, technical
analysis to look for potential improvements and other technological
opportunities;
Establishing a Freight Technology Demonstration Fund to test and measure
new and underused freight transportation technologies in real-world
conditions;
Providing cost-shared funding to companies and non-profit associations
in freight transportation to help them to adopt proven emission-reducing
technologies;
Building and maintaining partnerships within the transportation sector
to reduce emissions from freight transportation through fast and flexible
voluntary actions that can support the regulatory framework; and
Demonstrating the potential of shore-based power for marine vessels in
Canadian ports to reduce air pollution from idling ship engines in some of
Canada's largest urban centres.
The ecoFreight program builds on the major-infrastructure investments that
Canada's New Government announced in Budget 2006, and other measures, such as
regulating emissions from rail and marine transportation and fuel consumption of
new light duty vehicles, announced in the fall. These measures are part of
Canada's New Government's ambitious and realistic agenda to protect the health
of Canadians and the environment in Canada and demonstrate that Canada's New
Government understands the importance of addressing climate change.
Want to know more about the Government of Canada's environmental agenda and
the ecoFreight Program? Visit us online at
www.tc.gc.ca/ecoTransport.
February 2007
FACT SHEET
ECOFREIGHT
As part of its environmental agenda, Canada's New Government is launching the
ecoTransport Strategy. This strategy features the ecoFreight Program--a new step
to reduce the environmental and health effects of freight transportation.
ecoFreight--Meeting the challenge of sustaining a clean, healthy
transportation system
Federal investment of up to $61 million over four years in this program consists
of six initiatives, two of which specifically target the trucking industry:
National Harmonization Initiative for the Trucking Industry: With up to
$6 million, this initiative from Transport Canada is designed to identify
solutions with respect to national and provincial requirements that create
barriers for the trucking industry to adopt currently available technologies
to reduce emissions. This work will be done in partnership with the
provinces and territories.
ecoENERGY for Fleets: With up to $22 million, this initiative from
Natural Resources Canada will focus on reducing fuel use and greenhouse gas
emissions in commercial and institutional fleets through training and
education, sharing of best practices, anti-idling campaigns, technical
analysis and evaluations to identify opportunities for improvements, and
other technology activities.
The other initiatives address all four modes of transportation (air, rail,
road and marine), as well as users of the freight system:
Freight Technology Demonstration Fund: With up to $10 million, this
Transport Canada initiative will provide cost-shared funding to companies in
the air, rail, road and marine modes in order to test and measure the
environmental and operational performance of new and underutilized freight
transportation technologies. Industry partners will measure and report on
results such as the fuel saved; the emissions reduced; the technology
purchase, installation and training costs; and the impacts on operations,
equipment and maintenance.
Freight Technology Incentives: With up to $10 million, this Transport
Canada initiative will mitigate financial barriers to the adoption of new
and under-utilized technologies, many of which currently have an initial
cost premium that makes the initial financial outlay or the length of the
payback period difficult. Under the program, cost-shared funding will be
provided to companies and non-profit associations in all modes of the
freight transportation industry for the purchase and installation of proven
emission-reducing technologies.
Partnerships on Freight: With up to $7 million, this Transport Canada
initiative will bring together a range of partners within the freight
transportation sector to reduce emissions from freight transportation (road,
rail, aviation and marine). Transport Canada will enhance its partnerships
with other countries in international forums while developing partnerships
with users of the freight system. These partnerships will complement the
broad environmental regulatory agenda, setting targets and action plans for
emission reduction in the short term in areas not suitable for regulation or
before regulations take effect in 2011.
Marine Shore Power Program: With up to $6 million, this Transport Canada
initiative will support up to four pilot projects for the installation and
use of shore-based power for marine vessels in Canadian ports. With this
technology, marine vessel operators would have the option to connect their
vessels directly to a shore power source while in port. Many vessels are
already equipped to take advantage of shore power where it is available. As
no Canadian ports currently offer this service commercially, ships must idle
their engines, or use diesel engine generators, in order to meet their
on-board energy requirements while in port. This technology will improve
local air quality by reducing air pollution from ships in some of Canada's
largest urban centres.
Transportation is a key element of the government's environmental agenda.
Keeping people and goods moving is vital to a strong economy and is critical to
Canada's prosperity. A more sustainable transportation system will result in
safety, social and economic benefits for all Canadians.
For more information on the ecoFreight program, please visit Transport
Canada's website at
www.tc.gc.ca/ecoTransport.
February 2007
