NEWS

Office of the Premier

Ontario Signs On to New Pan-Canadian Agreement to Fight Climate

Change
December 9, 2016 8:45 P.M.
Premier Kathleen Wynne participated in a productive First Ministers' Meeting in Ottawa today
and released the following statement on the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and
Climate Change:
"I am pleased that the majority of Canada's First Ministers have approved the Pan-Canadian
Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This agreement is an important milestone in
our fight against climate change and towards meeting Canada's international commitments
under the Paris Agreement.
The new agreement acknowledges existing actions taken by provinces and territories to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, including Ontario's cap and trade program -- the most cost-effective
solution for Ontario's people and businesses. It also supports our transition to a low-carbon
economy by encouraging innovation and helping us maintain our competitiveness.
We remain hopeful that all First Ministers will sign on to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean
Growth and Climate Change in the near future, and now we will move to implement the
framework. As we move forward, I look forward to learning more about the federal government's
financial contributions to accelerate climate action and to working with the federal government
on measures to promote and strengthen our clean technology sector and support our economic
competitiveness. We worked with Indigenous peoples in the development of the framework, and
First Ministers will continue to take an inclusive and collaborative approach through its
implementation.
Ontario is a leader in fighting climate change. We have taken action to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, including eliminating all coal-fired electricity generation in the province. According to
current data, we have met our targets to date and we are on track to meet our targets for 2020
and 2030. We have set aggressive emission reduction targets and laid out a path to achieving
those targets through Ontario's Climate Change Action Plan. Under the framework, Ontario will
continue to advocate for greenhouse gas emission reductions to act as the benchmark used to
assess the effectiveness of each provincial and territorial carbon price.

With the Pan-Canadian Framework in place, we can now work together as a country to do our
part to fight this global threat. Carbon emissions do not recognize borders and the key to
fighting climate change is cooperation. To achieve real results, we must continue to build
collaborative responses nationally and internationally. Today's framework is an important step
towards building a prosperous and low-carbon future for all Canadians."

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