Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since day one of the 16th Legislative Assembly there has been a significant amount of discussion on climate change and making responsible environmental decisions. As outlined in the NWT Greenhouse Gas Strategy, the GNWT committed to lead by example by adopting a target reduced greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations to 10 percent below the 2001 levels by 2011.
This was, and is, a reasonable first step. Leading by example is rarely wrong. I have to say that we have done a lot of good in-house. We have adopted biomass in many of our buildings and have worked with staff to find energy efficiency within our day-to-day operations. I would not be surprised to hear that we have already met our target reduction of 10 percent.
In the NWT Greenhouse Gas Strategy, the Minister’s message clearly articulated the reality that climate change impacts are felt earlier in the North than in the rest of the world and that other Canadians and countries are looking to the NWT to see how we control our greenhouse gas emissions and begin to adapt the impacts of climate change. I can’t argue with this statement. I do, however, feel that adopting targets for GNWT operations alone fails to address the larger issue, the reality of climate change on the entire Northwest Territories.
Climate change affects all of the residents of the Northwest Territories and the world. As a government, we must be setting targets that assist other sectors within the NWT to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. Leading by example is a start; however, it can’t end there. Where the Canadian target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from the 1990 levels by 2010-2011, the GNWT does not have any emission reduction targets for the NWT as a whole. It is time for the NWT to take the next logical step and set strong science-based targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions.
The GNWT also needs to adopt policies and programs that will support a comprehensive strategy to meet those emission reduction targets, things such as, but not limited to, energy efficiency standards for homes and appliances, and enhancing retrofit programs designed to significantly help low-income homeowners and encourage all other homeowners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
By working together with residents and businesses of the Northwest Territories, we can set real and responsible targets; targets which will demonstrate that we truly are aware and care, and that we are willing to, and able to, control greenhouse gas emissions within our great Territory and begin to adapt to the impacts of climate change throughout the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will have some questions for the Minister responsible for ENR on this topic. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
