Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources and are in follow-up to my Member’s statement from earlier today.
In December, the Minister responsible for ENR and the Premier will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference. This is a significant conference, with potential to keep the 2012 Kyoto protocols, which are to prevent climate change and global warming, on line and possibly develop new more reasonable climate protocols. In light of this, will the GNWT lead by example and establish more aggressive targets for greenhouse gas emissions throughout the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would argue that as a government and as a Legislature we are leading by example with the $60 million Alternative Energy Program that we’ve committed to, with the work with biomass and hydro and wind. And we, as well, through our Joint Climate Change Committee, already agreed and will be bringing back the current Greenhouse Gas Strategy for review in anticipation of looking at the next iteration of that document with an eye towards internal targets, as well as we’re going to double-check the legal authority we do have for any kind of decisions that could possibly be made outside of the community boundaries. Thank you.
I’d like to thank the Minister for that response. In my statement I did mention that in many ways we are leading by example. Currently the GNWT has placed a 10 percent reduction on greenhouse gas emissions for internal operations, yet the GNWT does not have emission reduction targets for the NWT as a whole. There is some reference to controlling emissions, but without significant measurable reduction targets, there is no incentive for non-government interest to meet any targets. Would the Minister commit to updating the existing Greenhouse Gas Strategy and establish strong science-based targets for the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In my previous answer I indicated that the Joint Climate Change Committee had identified that as a priority and we’re going to be bringing back the current Greenhouse Gas Strategy and taking a look at it and start putting the process and pieces in place to look at developing what is going to be the next edition of the updated Greenhouse Gas Strategy. Thank you.
Once again I’d like to thank the Minister for that. I look forward to seeing that document when it comes forward.
As we move forward...
Going forward.
I have talked to some constituents and other interested parties who have suggested that the GNWT’s target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations by 10 percent below the 2001 levels by 2011 lacks some ambition. That we’ve pretty much actually attained these reductions and suggests that the lack of ambition reductions -- which, you know, ambitious reductions I mean challenging reductions -- limit the long-term value of the Greenhouse Strategy itself. Would the Minister commit to review the internal reductions targets that we currently have and establish more ambitious internal targets which demonstrate a significant commitment to reducing emissions within the Northwest Territories? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, everything we do that takes us from where we are to greater reductions is a step forward. It may not be as great as some people would like, but we have made significant strides. I’ll point again to the $60 million we’re committing to alternative energy. We did a presentation where the Public Works folks laid out a long list of government facilities across the land that are going to be converted to biomass, with the thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions. We’ve committed, as well, and I have done it now with the last two questions, that we’re going to be looking at revising and updating the Greenhouse Gas Strategy that’s currently in place, recognizing that a lot has happened since 2006. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary. Thank you. Honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
