Mr. Speaker, today is Earth Day, a day meant to raise environmental awareness of the planet. The Government of Canada is committed to preserving and enhancing the environment for current and future generations.
Canada and the rest of the world face challenges and opportunities for the environment. Especially during this period of economic uncertainty, we need to balance the need to protect our environment while working to build and encourage a strong economy.
We recently announced that we are going to be working with President Obama and our U.S. partners to reduce air pollution from our coastal areas due to shipping activity. We also announced that we are going to introduce tough new measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. Our government will also be investing $2.5 million over five years to support the United Nation's GEMS/Water program, an international science program aimed at understanding inland water quality issues around the world.
When it comes to the environment, we are getting the job done.
I encourage all Canadians to embrace the spirit of Earth Day and to continue to make environmentally friendly and sustainable choices.