Business of Supply  We also have stated policy to align our greenhouse gas mitigation approaches with those of the U.S., as appropriate in the Canadian context. We are pursuing a sector by sector approach by developing regulated performance standards for the major emitting sectors in Canada in tandem with the United States. We have also put in place a number of measures to reduce emissions from our key greenhouse gas sources.

Business of Supply  I commend the Minister of the Environment for recently gazetting the draft regulations for the electrical and coal sectors. Other sectors, like the oil sands sector, will also be dealt with at some future date. Other major industrial emitters in the heartland of Ontario and Quebec will also be brought into the plan.

The Environment  This is a principle that the opposition would gladly throw to the wind when it denigrates our oil sands sector. Our government's sector-by-sector approach, which is being developed by a robust consultation process, is designed to meet a tangible target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, while being cognizant of Canada's economic growth.

House debate  Our government is taking strong action on climate change. We have a clear plan to meet our committed Copenhagen accord in a sector by sector approach which is well underway. What is really important to note is that our plan is to partner with industry in developing regulations to reduce GHG emissions without jeopardizing the fragile economy as it recovers from our recent economic downturn.

House debate  That is why we take pride in the accomplishments of our excellent team at Environment Canada and the results that they deliver. Those results include: a sector by sector plan to align with the U.S. and achieve a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020; addressing concerns with the sustainable development of the oil sands; and a world-class monitoring plan that focuses on water, air quality and biodiversity.

Finance committee  I just wanted to pose a question to you and to the mining associations. Our approach is for sector-by-sector regulation. You've outlined what's being done in B.C. If you look at the Alberta plan, it basically says that if you're a large emitter and you go above a certain amount, you pay a $15 price.

Finance committee  Let me put you guys on the spot. If you were a federal minister, what would you do? If you had sector-by-sector, the B.C. carbon tax, or the Alberta carbon price for large emitters, and you were the minister and you had to choose one of the three, what would you do?

Environment committee  With the Copenhagen program, we now have many more nations involved, including the large emitters, in trying to achieve some objectives, and the government is working on a sector-by-sector basis through regulation to have an action plan in place. For example, on the industrial output of tail-pipe emissions on light trucks and heavy duty trucks, we are making progress and even the measures that have been agreed upon with the provinces and with industry thus far are expected to reduce emissions by about 65 megatonnes.

The Environment  This is something all Canadians can take pride in. We take pride in our regulatory approach to greenhouse gases. We are moving forward sector by sector.

House debate  Speaker, we look forward to continuing to make progress toward our ambitious targets of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020 through a sector by sector approach aligned with the U.S. where appropriate. We are a quarter of a way to this ambitious goal, but we still have a lot of hard work to do. Consulting with stakeholders and our provincial, territorial and international partners, we have established regulations on renewable fuel content in gasoline to reduce tailpipe emissions.

The Environment  We do have a plan and that plan is working. We have committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions sector by sector and that plan is working. With regard to the Speech from the Throne, I think my colleague was somewhat literal in her expectations. We reiterated our commitment to reduce climate change emissions across the board.

Environment committee  I will be announcing very shortly, for example, new regulations for the coal-fired electricity generating sector, and then we will move on to other large emitters sector by sector as we go around the wheel. We address transportation first because that is the largest single sector in terms of emitting greenhouse gases, but our commitment is there, and we have the funds to achieve those commitments.

Environment committee  We have put in place a plan that is already reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a plan that takes a strategic sector-by-sector approach, a plan that focuses on real, measurable progress. And this plan, members, is already working. In partnership with provinces, territories, and others, we have already taken actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 megatonnes, bringing us to about one-quarter of the way to meeting our target of reducing our emissions to 607 megatonnes by 2020.

The Environment  Speaker, as I said, we have a plan and our plan is working. We will continue to regulate sector by sector to achieve our climate change and greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. We started with the two largest greenhouse gas emitters in the transportation sector and in the coal-fired electricity sector.

The Environment  Our government is firmly on track to meet our greenhouse gas emission reductions by 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. We have taken action in the transportation sector, a sector that accounts for almost one-third of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. We will phase out dirty coal-fired electricity generating plants. We will then turn to other large emitters.