Statement from Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on International Earth Day
On Earth Day, we renew our commitment to make our water fresher and our air cleaner, and to protect our natural resources and our country's surpassing beauty for our children and grandchildren.
Rather than lead the world, the Conservative government has drawn criticism around the world. According to Environment Canada, Canada's emissions have increased under this government. A recent United Nations report confirms that Canada's emissions have grown more than any other G-8 country, while countries like the United Kingdom and Germany have slashed emissions.
Canada can't afford to wait for our environmental policy to be determined outside our borders. As our neighbours and trading partners set their own environmental agendas, Canada's inaction at this time has far-reaching implications, putting our cross-border trade and future competitiveness at risk.
We need a credible plan to fight climate change, built around a cap-and-trade system with hard caps on emissions that will re-establish our international leadership.
We need a national strategy for investment in green science, research and innovation, so that the green jobs of tomorrow - in renewable energies, bio-tech, genomics, nanotechnology - start getting created today.
And we need to harness the power of our rivers, tides, winds and fuels - and the powerful ingenuity of our people - to become the Earth's green energy superpower.
Today, an estimated six million Canadians-and almost a billion people from more than 170 countries around the world-are participating in local events and environmental projects to celebrate Earth Day. I hope you will join them.
Happy Earth Day, Canada.
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Press Office 4/22/2009 |
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