No. GC 005/07
For release February 14, 2007
CANADA'S NEW GOVERNMENT HELPS CANADIANS
CHOOSE MORE ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLES
TORONTO - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the
Environment, announced today at the Toronto Auto Show that two new programs will
help Canadians choose more eco-friendly vehicles. As part of its ecoTransport
Strategy, Canada's New Government will commit up to $36 million in funding for
new programs aimed at raising awareness, increasing availability of more
environmentally friendly cars and trucks, and encouraging Canadians to make
informed choices when purchasing a vehicle.
With up to $15 million in funding, the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program
will involve purchasing and testing a range of advanced technologies - including
hydrogen, advanced electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicles - and showcasing them
at public events across Canada.
"Road vehicles are a major contributor to domestic air pollution and the
largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada," said Minister
Cannon. "The goal of the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program is to test the
effectiveness and safety of advanced environmental technologies for vehicles,
share our results with Canadians and help them make informed decisions about the
cars they buy."
Minister Cannon, on behalf the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural
Resources, also announced $21 million for ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles. This
program will provide fuel consumption information and decision-making tools such
as vehicle labels, guides and interactive websites, to encourage consumers to
purchase fuel-efficient vehicles that are currently available in the market.
Through these programs, Canada's New Government will work with the auto
industry to make new vehicles more fuel-efficient. Together, these programs will
play an important role in helping the auto industry to achieve the 5.3 megatonne
reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions from light duty vehicles in
Canada. The industry has agreed to pursue this target under a voluntary
agreement with the government between now and 2010, following which new fuel
consumption regulations will come into effect for the 2011 model year.
"Canada's New Government is taking action to deliver real reductions in air
pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions and harmful substances in our communities,"
said Minister Baird. "The two programs launched today will help Canadians make
informed decisions about buying eco-friendly vehicles. We will continue to work
with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments as well as with the
broader transportation community to develop a practical, cost-effective approach
to protecting the environment so that present and future generations of
Canadians benefit from a country that is cleaner, greener, and healthier."
The ecoTransport Strategy of Canada's New Government 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.
The 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.
Backgrounders and fact sheets on the ecoTechnology
for Vehicles Program are attached. A media backgrounder with more details on the
Fuel Consumption Guide and the award winners is available at
www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.
- 30 -
Contacts:
Natalie Sarafian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Eric Richer
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment, Gatineau
819-997-1441
Robin Browne
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
ECOTECHNOLOGY FOR VEHICLES -
STEER IN THE
DIRECTION OF
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TOMORROW
Canadians everywhere can do their part to help ensure a clean, healthy
environment. It starts by making the right choices in our lives. And that
includes choosing vehicles with improved fuel efficiency.
There are a lot of new, advanced technologies that are either available now
in the consumer market - such as hybrid gas/electric cars - or coming in the
near future, such as hydrogen-powered engines. But it can be daunting making the
right choice for your family or your company fleet.
As part of its environmental agenda, the Government of Canada has launched
the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program to help Canadians make informed choices
when purchasing a vehicle. Building on the successful fuel-efficiency programs
that Canadians have relied on for many years, the new program will include
in-depth testing and publishing of the safety and environmental performance of a
range of emerging technologies for use in light-duty vehicles.
The program will showcase these new environmentally friendly technologies at
auto shows across the country and help provide Canadians with the facts they
need to make informed decisions. There is another important benefit offered by
the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program: it will foster important new
partnerships with the automobile industry and others across the country to help
remove barriers to the introduction of environmental technologies in Canada.
The ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program builds on the major infrastructure
investments that the Government of Canada announced in the 2006 federal budget,
and other measures announced in the fall, like regulating the emissions of the
industrial and auto sectors. These measures are part of the Government of
Canada's ambitious and realistic agenda to protect the health of Canadians and
the environment in Canada and demonstrates that this Government understands the
importance of addressing climate change.
Get the facts about eco-friendly vehicles and make the right choices for a
clean, healthy environment. Together, we can build a sustainable environment for
all.
Want to know more about the Government of Canada's environmental agenda and
the ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program? Visit us online at
www.tc.gc.ca.
February 2007
FACT SHEET
ECOTECHNOLOGY FOR VEHICLES
Transport Canada's ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program is designed to raise
awareness among Canadians about advanced environmental vehicle technologies and
their benefits, and to help them make informed decisions about purchasing
vehicles that use clean technologies.
With up to $15 million in funding, this program is aimed at reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from on-road vehicles by:
evaluating the fuel-efficiency, emissions and safety performance of
advanced technology vehicles;
identifying opportunities and market potential for the introduction and
use of advanced technology vehicles;
identifying barriers to the introduction and use of advanced technology
vehicles and recommending solutions; and
raising public awareness of advanced technology vehicles.
The ecoTechnology for Vehicles Program will involve purchasing and testing a
range of advanced technologies - including hydrogen, advanced electric, hybrid
and fuel cell vehicles - and showcasing them at public events across Canada.
Near and long-term advanced technologies suitable for the Canadian vehicle
market will also be featured. These technologies will include more efficient and
cleaner gasoline and diesel engines, electric, solar, hydrogen fuel cells,
biodiesel, etc., as well as individual advanced technology vehicle components.
In addition, the program will focus on building strong partnerships with the
automotive industry and others, to encourage penetration of a broader range of
environmental technologies and vehicles into the Canadian new vehicle fleet.
These include:
powertrain and engine improvements;
advanced valve control to enhance vehicle efficiency;
lightweight materials;
aerodynamics;
tire technologies; and
advanced engine technologies such as hybrid, advanced electric, fuel
cell, and hydrogen technologies.
There are more than 18 million motor vehicles registered in Canada, which
account for approximately one-eighth of the greenhouse gas emissions in the
country.
Advanced technologies will play an important role in helping the auto
industry to achieve the 5.3 megatonne reduction target for greenhouse gas
emissions from light duty vehicles in Canada. The industry has agreed to pursue
this target under a voluntary agreement with the government between now and
2010, following which new fuel consumption regulations will come into effect for
the 2011 model year.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the program will result in a reduction in
the order of
500 kilotonnes (kt) of greenhouse gas reductions in 2010, as well as reductions
of the following air pollutants: sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile
organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.
The sustainability of Canada's transportation system relies on the reduction
of air emissions from transportation sources and the development of cleaner
transportation systems, practices and technologies. Through the ecoTechnology
for Vehicles Program, Transport Canada will facilitate the introduction and use
of clean, safe and efficient advanced technology vehicles.
February 2007
