Today, in Montreal, Minister David Anderson is chairing the first ever meeting of the Environment Ministers of the Americas. This meeting has been called by Canada because our environment is an important aspect of our quality of life. Recommendations from the Ministers of the Environment will be given to Heads of State and Government prior to the Summit of the Americas, to be held in Quebec City in April 2001.
Climate change is a critical global problem requiring global solutions.
The science behind climate change is increasingly compelling and the human impacts increasingly evident. Canada, as a northern country, is already seeing signs of its initial impact. Canada is moving ahead with actions at home to reduce greenhouse house gas emissions. The Action Plan and the Budget initiatives we announced last year support renewable energies, technologies for reducing emissions and energy efficiency in a broad range of sectors. Action Plan 2000 will reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions by 65 million tonnes, which represents about one-third of the effort required to achieve our Kyoto Protocol target.