Made-In-Ontario Plan to Preserve and Protect our Environment; Grow the Economy for Future Generations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2018
Nobleton - Stephen Lecce, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), for King-Vaughan, Deputy Government House Leader, and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and Minister of Infrastructure, hosted Rod Phillips, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to announce the Ontario government's new made-in-Ontario environment plan to help protect our air, land and water, address little and reduce waste, increase our resilience to climate change and help us to do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generations: A Made-In-Ontario Environment Plan includes actions to integrate tangible environmental solutions that save people and businesses money, address local priorities, and support our communities in doing their part for the environment. Most importantly, it achieves all this without increasing taxes on the people of our province.
“We promised the people of Ontario that we are serious about addressing the environmental challenges of our day while respecting hardworking taxpayers - and we are keeping that promise," said Minister Rod Phillips. "This made-in-Ontario plan is tailored to our province's specific priorities and region-based challenges and opportunities. Throughout our plan, we propose solutions that strike the right balance between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. Our plan will not impose an unconstitutional, punishing new carbon tax on families and businesses."
The government will ensure that polluters are held accountable with stronger enforcement and tougher penalties for breaking environmental laws. One of the underlying themes of our plan is transparency and a commitment to making real-time information about monitoring, incidents and enforcement available to the public.
"I was proud to host and showcase King's environment heritage as a leader in conservation. As part of our Government's announcement of a made-in-Ontario plan to protect our environment for future generations, we are acting to protect our air, lakes and rivers, while conserving our greenspace and reducing waste and litter in our communities," said MPP Stephen Lecce.
The plan is tailored to address Ontario's unique environment and economic challenges.
It contains four main areas of action:
Protecting our air, lakes and rivers
Addressing climate change
Reducing waste and litter in our communities and keeping our land and soil clean
Conserving land and greenspace.
The Plan will encourage local environmental action through initiatives such as a new province-wide day of action to fight litter, and partnerships with organizations like Ducks Unlimited and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.
News Release
QUICK FACTS
Ontario has been a leader on climate action, as our province's total greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 22 per cent since 2005 - even while emissions from the rest of Canada have increased by three per cent during the same time.
In fact, most of Canada's progress towards its 2030 Paris targets has occurred in Ontario.
The first coal fired power plant to be closed was initiated by a Progressive Conservative Government. Discontinuing coal-fired power generation has led to the biggest single reduction of greenhouse gases, not just in Ontario but in Canada.
It's also one of the largest emission reduction actions to date in North America.
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