Canada, Nova Scotia Working Together to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau and federal Environment Minister Peter Kent announced today, March 19, that they are working toward an equivalency agreement on coal-fired electricity greenhouse gas regulations.

"We're very pleased to be developing this agreement with Environment Canada," said Mr. Belliveau. "An equivalency agreement makes sense for Nova Scotia. "Our regulations were developed after significant research and input from Nova Scotians, and they will achieve the same greenhouse gas emissions reductions as the federal approach, while recognizing what's best for our province."

"More than two years ago, our governments signed an agreement in principle on efforts to address climate change," said Mr. Kent. "We remain focused on our mutual goal of reducing green house gas emissions, but we believe in ensuring the Province of Nova Scotia has the flexibility to choose an approach that best suits them."

Nova Scotia is the first province to put in place hard caps on greenhouse gas emissions for electricity providers. This regulation requires a reduction of 25 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector by 2020. The agreement will also require the province to create new targets which will extend to 2030 to match reductions that will be achieved under the proposed federal regulations.

The governments want to avoid duplicating efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and are working to ensure industry does not face two sets of regulations. An equivalency agreement would favour a provincial regulation, as long as it achieves an equivalent environmental result.

Last August, the federal government proposed regulations for the electricity sector that will apply a stringent performance standard to new coal-fired electricity generation units and those that have reached the end of their economic life. Final regulations are expected to be published soon, which will allow the equivalency agreement to be finalized.

Canada has committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 17 per cent below 2005 levels, by 2020.