Mr. Speaker, global warming is a problem that every person, every country and every level of government in the world must deal with.
I rise in the House today to tell of a success story. Toronto's outstanding progress in reducing greenhouse emissions is a model for the world and something that the House should be aware of.
According to the UN affiliated International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, metropolitan Toronto is the world's leader in fighting global warming. It tops the list of 150 cities in cutting carbon dioxide output between 1990 and 1996.
Toronto and its surrounding suburbs achieved cumulative reductions of 7.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide between 1990 and 1996. That is a 6% cent reduction.
The reductions were achieved using a variety of measures including landfill gas recovery, recycling initiatives, energy efficient street and land lighting and community water conservation programs.
This experience should serve as model for other cities in Canada and the rest of the world, showing that we can cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions, save money and create jobs—