Federal Funding for Clean Air and Energy Efficiency Projects

Nova Scotians can breathe a little easier with the announcement of $42.5 million in funding from the federal government for Nova Scotia's part of Canada's $1.5 billion trust for clean air and climate change.

The trust was set up by the government of Canada to support provincial and territorial projects to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

"We are pleased the federal government is here today, joining forces with us in dealing with climate change. This fund will support Nova Scotia's new Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act commitments," said Mark Parent, Minister of Environment and Labour. "With strong federal leadership like we see today, we will be able to accelerate our plans to achieve 18.5 percent renewable energy, and reduced harmful emissions, by 2013."

The federal funding creates the Nova Scotia Green Trust and is intended to support projects consistent with the province's belief that climate change is real and that humans play a role in such change. The initial announcements will help the province reduce its greenhouse gas emissions immediately by more than 20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and 400 tonnes of sulphur dioxide per year, which helps reduce acid rain. In addition, about 30 tonnes per year of harmful particulate matter will be eliminated.

"With our announcement in Nova Scotia today, the federal government has completed negotiations with all 10 provinces and three territories," said John Baird, federal Minister of the Environment. "By working to address each province's unique environmental challenges, Canada is getting real results for the environment on both a local level and a national scale."

"Nova Scotia's environmental initiatives reflect the type of balanced action that Canada's government is encouraging," said Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. "By supporting Nova Scotia's environmental action, we can work together on behalf of all Nova Scotians to find concrete and realistic solutions to our shared environmental challenges."

Nova Scotia has indicated that it will use the funding to support several provincial projects, which will include:

• Converting the heating plants at the Capital District Health Authority to burn natural gas. This will create a market for natural gas on the Halifax peninsula;

• Pending the outcome of a strategic environmental assessment, expanding Nova Scotia's portfolio of renewable energy to include funding for one or more tidal power pilot project;

• Establishing the Nova Scotia Municipal Climate and Clean Air Fund to enable Nova Scotia municipalities to take on projects that will reduce carbon emissions;

• Setting aside funds to conduct studies and experiments in the sequestration of Carbon Dioxide; and

• Establishing the Nova Scotia Environmental Technology Fund to support the development, commercialization, and use of new technologies and applications to reduce greenhouse gases.

The government of Canada is taking a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution through several initiatives. These initiatives will stop the increase of greenhouse gas emissions by 2010 and no later than 2012 and achieve an absolute reduction of 150 megatons of greenhouse gases by 2020. The plan will also cut air pollution in half by 2015.

The federal government will also continue to work in close partnership with provinces and territories to promote collaborative approaches to reduce air emissions. This will avoid unnecessary duplication of effort so Canadians get the maximum amount of environmental benefits with the least amount of administrative and cost burden for industry.

For more information about the federal government's environmental initiatives see the website at www.ecoaction.gc.ca .

For further information on Nova Scotia's programs see the Department of Environment and Labour website at www.gov.ns.ca/enla .