SCHWARZENEGGER SUMMIT LOOKS TO KICKSTART GREEN ECONOMY

LOS ANGELES – During the two-day Governors’ Global Climate Summit in California, British Columbia joined more than eight U.S. states and representatives from 11 countries in signing a joint declaration agreeing to pursue collaborative action to reduce GHG emissions and create opportunities to grow green economies, announced Environment Minister Barry Penner.

“British Columbia knows and values the importance of national and international relationships and partnerships in the global battle against climate change,” said Penner. “This summit gives us an opportunity to meet face-to-face with other world leaders and discuss new ways to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, both in our province and globally, while facilitating new technologies and economic opportunities.”

Deutsche Bank, which released a report this week called Economic Stimulus: The Case for Green Infrastructure, Energy Security and Green Jobs, said the world economic crisis can be addressed by aggressively investing in a low-carbon economy. The report says “a $100-billion investment in clean energy and efficiency would result in two million new jobs.”

The summit featured discussions on monitoring and reporting of climate change emissions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions with sector-specific actions, a report by government leaders on the global response to climate change and a commitment to further action.

“This is a global problem requiring a global solution, and it’s occasions like this that allow countries, states and provinces to work together in developing innovative approaches to curbing the effects of climate change that benefit both our environments and our economies on a world-wide scale,” said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Linda Adams.

British Columbia’s actions to address climate change and stimulate investment include:

· legislating greenhouse gas emission reductions of 33 per cent by 2020;

· implementing tax cuts supported by a tax on carbon emissions;

· being the first province to join the Western Climate Initiative and becoming a co-chair in the development of a cap-and-trade system that includes B.C.’s largest U.S. trading partners;

· legislating the use of low-carbon fuels and more fuel efficient vehicles;

· investing in bio-energy and climate research; and

· implementing a new aggressive green building code to improve energy efficiency.

In addition, billions of dollars are currently being invested by independent power producers in renewable electricity projects in British Columbia in response to the government’s Energy Plan, employing workers in rural communities.

Independent economic modelling estimates B.C. is 73 per cent of the way to meeting the 33 per cent 2020 reduction target.

Besides the work done at this week’s summit, British Columbia and California have also partnered on a number of significant climate-action initiatives in the past. These include signing memoranda of understanding on Climate Action and on Ocean Protection. As well, both B.C. and California are active members of the Pacific Coast Collaborative and the Western Climate Initiative.

For more information on the summit, visit www.governorsglobalclimatesummit.org. For more information on what B.C. is doing to take action on climate change, visit www.livesmartbc.ca.

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Contact:

Kate Thompson

Media Relations

Ministry of Environment

250 953-4577

David Haslam

Communications Manager

Climate Action Secretariat

250 387-5550




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