The Canadian government is taking action to clean urban air by curbing emissions from vehicles in Canadian cities. David Collenette, minister of transport; David Anderson, minister of the environment; and Ralph Goodale, minister of natural resources, said the government will invest more than $109 million in initiatives focused on urban transportation, fuel-cell technology, increasing fuel efficiency, and marketing low-emission vehicles. The announcement came at the second annual Toronto Smog Summit.
These initiatives are mainly financed under the $500-million Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change that the Canadian government announced in October 2000. The government is investing $1.1 billion for initiatives on climate change and clean air over the next five years. When implemented, the Action Plan will lead to reductions in several air pollutants and is expected to take Canada about one-third of the way to the greenhouse gas reduction target it set at the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in 1997.
At the launch of the summit, ministers and representatives of the province of Ontario; the municipalities of Markham, Mississauga, Newmarket, Oshawa, and Toronto; and the regions of Peel and York signed the Toronto 2001 Inter-governmental Declaration on Clean Air.
Measures announced include:
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The $40-million Urban Transportation Showcase Program to demonstrate ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
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The $30 million over five years to finance development, integration, and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) across Canada. This money is provided under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program announced April 3, 2001.
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A $23-million investment in the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance to explore fueling options for fuel-cell vehicles.
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The $16-million Motor Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Initiative to improve new motor vehicle fuel efficiency in Canada through a voluntary agreement with vehicle manufacturers and harmonized with the United States.
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An agreement with the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association and Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada to market low-emissions vehicles starting this year.