Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize and applaud current best efforts of our citizens, aboriginal governments and non-government organizations to meet key environmental challenges and to point out opportunities now before us for greater progress.
On the critical issue of climate change, I am happy to see our government making strong first steps, and I also note our partners at the City of Yellowknife are making remarkable progress with a community energy plan meeting their original targets well ahead of schedule through such actions as improved energy efficiency standards for buildings, shifts to wood pellet heat and even pursuit of geothermal energy at the former Con Mine.
I want to recognize a group of dedicated citizens who organized a Climate Justice Now march just this Saturday in a run-up to Kyoto negotiations in Copenhagen this December, calling for strong action by all governments to combat climate change. This reminded me of a summer gathering in Inuvik of youth from across Canada committed to fighting climate change. It was organized by Ecology North, the Pembina Institute, the Gwich’in Council International, the Arctic Athabaskan Council and Climate Action Network Canada. The Inuvik Declaration they produced makes several important observations. We’ve done a lot, but we must do more.
It is time for governments to set ambitious science-based targets for greenhouse gas reductions in the NWT and Canada. The federal position on combating climate change is an embarrassment to Canada and an immediate threat to the safety and security of northern citizens and indigenous people in particular. Science shows that Canada and the world must reduce greenhouse gas production by 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels if we are to avoid disastrous and accelerating consequences.
We must assist developing countries to reduce their emissions and adopt new technologies. We must also make the strongest possible efforts to shift our federal government to a more responsible and progressive position.
Mr. Speaker, I urge our Members and this government to take firm action, to think locally with a firm and ambitious NWT carbon neutral date and a plan to get there, and to act globally by strongly urging the federal government to accept our international responsibilities and dramatically improve our position at the Copenhagen negotiations of the new Kyoto Protocol this December, and I will be asking our Minister of the Environment some questions about that, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
