Parliamentary Secretary Applauds $190 Million to the Environment in Budget 2010

March 04, 2010

“Budget 2010 includes new measures totalling more than $190 million to support a cleaner and more sustainable environment, and help meet Canada’s climate change objectives,” says Mark Warawa, Langley MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment.

For example, the Budget provides:

• $100 million over four years to support clean energy generation in Canada’s forestry sector through the new Next Generation Renewable Power initiative. This funding will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting the development, commercialization and implementation of emerging clean energy technologies in the forestry sector, which could include new bio-fuels, renewable electricity and chemicals from forest biomass
• Expansion of the accelerated capital cost allowance for clean energy generation equipment to additional applications involving heat recovery and district energy
• $16 million over two years to continue to implement the Government’s action plan to protect the Great Lakes by cleaning up areas identified as being most degraded
• $38 million over two years for Canada’s Invasive Alien Species Strategy to reduce the risk of invasive animal and plant species being introduced to Canada
• Up to $11.4 million over two years to deliver meteorological services and navigational services in the North to meet Canada’s commitments to the International Maritime Organization
• $8 million over two years to support community-based environmental monitoring, reporting and baseline data collection in the North
• $18.4 million over two years to support the Government’s annual reporting on key environmental indicators such as clean air, clean water and greenhouse gas emissions

“These new resources build on the important ongoing investments initiated under Canada’s Economic Action Plan to help make our economy more sustainable,” says Warawa “and strengthens Canada’s position as a clean energy superpower.”

“We are investing $1 billion over five years for the Clean Energy Fund in support of clean energy research, development and demonstration projects, including carbon capture and storage.  That goes hand in hand with an additional $1 billion over five years for the Green Infrastructure Fund for priorities such as green energy generation and transmission infrastructure, carbon transmission and storage infrastructure.”

“$380 million has been dedicated in new resources for the ecoEnergy for Homes Retrofit program to support Canadians in making their homes more energy efficient.”

“In 2009, the Government also provided $1 billion over three years to support the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program. This program provides incentive for pulp and paper mills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and become leaders in the production of renewable energy from biomass.” 

Overall this budget is working for the Environment,” Warawa concludes.