OTTAWA, Ont. -- August 8, 2012 -- The honourable Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister, today announced that Canada is half way towards meeting its 2020 greenhouse gas emission target.
"Using a sector-by-sector approach, our Government has taken action on two of Canada's largest sources of emissions: electricity and transportation," said Minister Kent. "The Harper Government has been working hard to reduce emissions, and this has helped set the stage for the progress we've achieved this year."
To date, the Government of Canada has contributed to the projected emission reductions by regulating greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and electricity sectors, and will continue to work with its partners to reduce emissions from other sectors, including oil and gas.
Under the Copenhagen Accord, Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020. Canada's Emissions Trends Report, released today, shows a projection of greenhouse gas emissions to 2020, taking into account the latest economic and emissions data, as well as current federal and provincial actions to reduce emissions.
In addition, for the first time this year, Canada's Emissions Trends includes in its projections the contribution of the Land Use Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector to reducing GHG emissions – a major milestone for Canada. Estimates show that this sector will contribute 25 megatonnes in GHG emissions reductions towards Canada's 2020 target.
Related information:
For more information, please contact:
Adam Sweet
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008
