Special Kyoto budget Info and Action Request - David Suzuki Foundation

From: "Gail Martin" <gail@bay-of-islands.org>
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Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 08:37:13 -0400
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In this special climate budget edition:

-CRITICAL ACTION: Urge Finance Minister to Act on Kyoto
-CLIMATE PRIORITIES, LETTER TO MPS: Jim Fulton, David Suzuki Foundation
-GREENING THE FEDERAL BUDGET: a national strategy

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-CRITICAL ACTION: Urge Finance Minister to Act on Kyoto

Canada's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol was a critical milestone in
advancing national and international efforts to protect the climate.

Now it is time for federal government to follow through on this important
symbolic act by implementing policies and programs that tangibly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most telling statements about Ottawa'
s priorities is the tabling of the federal budget which happens in late
February.

Please take a couple of minutes to contact the Finance Minister to make
clean air, climate protection and sustainable energy a priority in the
next budget.

It is most effective to send a personal fax or email Honourable John
Manley, Minister of Finance Fax: 613-995-1534

Email: manlej@parl.gc.ca
If you can, c.c. your own Member of Parliament.
Contact info at
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/PostalCode.asp?Source=S
M

A free auto fax is also available at: http://www.davidsuzuki.org

-Thank Mr. Manley for supporting Kyoto ratification
-Encourage him to start making climate protection real in the upcoming
federal budget
-Urge support for energy efficiency programs in buildings, public transit
funding, incentives for renewable energy, and phasing out direct and
indirect subsidies for the petroleum and nuclear industries.

************************************

-KEY CLIMATE PRIORITIES, LETTER TO MPs: Jim Fulton,
David Suzuki Foundation

Below is a short letter to Members of Parliament on key climate change and
energy priorities. The Foundation also prepares budget briefs for the
Parliamentary Finance Committee, and publishes research on solutions to
climate change. These are available at:

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Publications/Climate_Change_Reports/default.asp

January 16, 2003

Member of Parliament for XX
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6

Dear X X,

We again want to extend our appreciation to you for your role in Canada's
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The positive response to this
decision, both domestically and internationally, indicates that further
Canadian action on this issue will be welcomed.

We are today urging you to help ensure that the coming budget reflects
Canada's commitment to the Kyoto targets and to our overall climate
protection objectives. We strongly believe that the momentum established
by Kyoto ratification must be maintained through the budget and related
regulatory decisions. Further delay in developing the programs, policies,
tax provisions and market mechanisms to reduce emissions will undercut
that positive momentum and make implementation of the Protocol more
difficult and expensive. Public support for positive solutions remains
high and that reinforces the advantages of bold actions now.

A "Kyoto Budget" can maximize the opportunities for urban renewal,
economic innovation, public health improvement, job creation, and new
income sources in rural communities. Below we offer specific climate
change solutions that have been demonstrated to be effective and
affordable, both in Canadian applications and in other industrial
jurisdictions, including the US:

Canadian Building Retrofit Strategy

Establish a revolving, low interest fund for commercial building retrofits
Provide incentives and financing assistance for home retrofits, with
emphasis upon local training and employment
Establish a national building code with the R2000 standard for homes and a
C2000 standard for commercial buildings
Sustainable Transportation Strategy

Allocate $1 billion per year to a Federal-Provincial-Municipal urban
transit improvement fund;
Make the provision of a bus pass to employees a nontaxable benefit
Institute a revenue-neutral vehicle "feebate" system to reward buyers of
efficient vehicles financed by an equivalent surcharge on inefficient
vehicles
Proclaim the 1981 Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards Act. Working
with California and other progressive US states, use regulatory authority
to mandate a 30% improvement in efficiency for cars, light and heavy
trucks by 2008
Put the railway industry on an equal footing with the higher-emission
trucking industry by levelling the taxation playing field, implementing
user fees for commercial highway users, and introducing rail
infrastructure incentives

Renewable Energy Strategy
Expand the tax incentives for all forms of renewable energy production,
including training for businesses and employees
Provide an additional incentive for renewable energy in provinces that are
taking similar actions, such as those supporting sustainable ethanol
production and use
Institute a coal tax to finance the above
End Support for Carbon-Intensive Fuels Production
Phase out all preferential tax treatment for fossil fuel exploration and
production over the next four years to free up funds to finance other
government priorities

Ensure that the proposed income tax changes affecting the oil and gas
sector reduce, rather than increase, the preferential treatment that
fossil fuels have traditionally enjoyed
Fund the development and establishment of an effective domestic emissions
trading system by 2005 for large industrial emitters that is designed to
significantly reduce the carbon-intensity of energy production and use in
the heavy industrial and utility sectors
Announce the phase out of all subsidies for nuclear energy, saving $200
million per year

Greening the Federal Government

Create an agency in the federal government with the mandate to bring
"Kyoto compliance and climate protection leadership to all federal
government operations, contracts, agencies and services
Institute purchasing policies for renewable energy, efficient vehicles,
'green' buildings, low-carbon fuels, and other direct product purchases
for government use
Direct federal land development projects and CMHC financing policies to
create more energy efficiency in urban design and planning
These policies and approaches, and others related to them, will start to
reduce the ever-upward trajectory in Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. At
the same time, they will encourage other levels of government, responsible
business leaders, and individuals to move in the same direction. Effective
climate protection policies support economic innovation, improve air
quality and public health, increase job creation and bring savings from
energy efficiency: they are a net economic and social gain for Canada. We
support the proposals of the Green Budget Coalition and believe that
approach supports the core themes of the throne Speech, including health
and economic innovation.

We thank you for your consideration of these measures and urge you to
contact Finance Minister Manley and the Prime Minister to encourage their
inclusion in the coming budget.

Sincerely,
Jim Fulton Executive Director
************************************

-GREENING THE FEDERAL BUDGET: a national strategy

Federal and provincial budgets are the single most important environmental
policy statements made by governments on an annual basis. A budget is a
public statement of priorities, reflecting what the government views as
our most important and pressing issues.

Yet despite polls that consistently show high levels of public support for
improving environmental protection, government cuts to environmental
programs and a failure to make meaningful progress in key policy areas
have severely dented Canada's ability to capitalize on opportunities to
benefit the environment, public health and the economy.

The Green Budget Coalition is an unprecedented coalition of 16 Canadian
environmental and conservation organizations that joined together in 1999
to work on federal budgetary initiatives. The Coalition develops a
comprehensive annual federal budget submission focussing on addressing
climate change and air pollution, protecting biodiversity and parks, and
improving the health of our communities by cleaning up toxic waste.

Find out more about the Green Budget Coalition,
http://www.greenbudget.ca/2002_back.html

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For more news and information, visit http://www.davidsuzuki.org
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