Ontario promises to ensure greenhouse gas emission worldwide reduction

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By Femi Shodunke

CANADA: ONTARIO government has restated its commitment to participate actively and help reduce greenhouse gas emission worldwide.

The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, disclosed this in a statement released last Thursday and made available to GatewayMail.

Murray said: “We continued working with our partners in the States and Regions Alliance and the Under 2 MOU, reinforcing the essential role subnational jurisdictions like Ontario have in helping national governments meet the goals of the agreement.

“Ontario also joined the 2050 Pathway Platform yesterday, which facilitates sharing resources, knowledge and experience among subnational and national governments to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.”

The Minister, who spoke on the United Nations’ 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, said: “This week I met with climate change leaders from countries and subnational governments across the globe at COP22 to promote Ontario’s leadership on climate change and to discuss the strong, coordinated action we will all take together to implement the Paris Agreement.”

He stressed: “I held a trilateral meeting with leaders from Quebec and California to discuss linking our cap and trade programs to further efforts to reduce emissions while boosting economic growth.

“I also met with representatives from Vermont and the State of Washington on further expanding the North American carbon market. I look forward to continuing this important work with our partner jurisdictions.”

“I also want to thank the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna for her efforts at COP22,” the Minister said, adding: “Ontario is pleased to have an active partner at the national level to develop a pan-Canadian framework for climate change and work together to meet Canada’s international commitments.”

While stating that the government was committed to fighting climate change, he explained that the province Climate Change Action Plan and cap, and trade program would help cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, all the way to 80 per cent by 2050.

“The work we are doing here in Ontario, and through our partnerships across Canada and around the world, will help make it easier and more affordable for people and businesses to do their part in the fight against climate change,” he stressed.

Murray also stressed: “Ontario will continue to lead and move forward because our future depends on the choices we make today.”