Bottom Line on Regional Cap-and-Trade Programs
What is happening on the regional level and why is this significant?
Twenty-three U.S. states and four Canadian provinces are actively participating in the design and implementation of three regional cap-and-trade programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Participating U.S. states account for one-half of the U.S. population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and one-third of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The Canadian provinces account for more than three-quarters of the Canadian population and GDP, and nearly one-half of Canadian GHG emissions. These efforts are formally observed by another 14 states and provinces across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Regional cap-and-trade programs account for the most significant domestic greenhouse gas regulatory efforts to date. In developing these programs, the regions have demonstrated innovation in policy design and program implementation that will inform national climate policy development in the United States and Canada. For basic information on cap-and-trade programs, please see The Bottom Line on Cap-and-Trade.

Study: Measuring renewable water assets in Canada
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090618/dq090618e-eng.htm

Australian Government Media Releases

Bioenergy to Canada
PORTFOLIO: Foreign Affairs and Trade http://www.austrade.gov.au/bioenergy-to-canada/default.aspx
SNIPPET: (Last updated: 17 Jun 2009). General Canada import requirements are also available at the . Canada is a very open economy that is receptive to new ideas due in part to a strong import culture and deep history of working with other nations.

Carbon capture and storage to Canada
PORTFOLIO: Foreign Affairs and Trade
URL: http://www.austrade.gov.au/carbon-capture-and-storage-to-canada/default.aspx
SNIPPET: (Last updated: 17 Jun 2009). Carbon capture and storage (CCS) activities in Canada range from R&D commercialisation engineering and economic analyses regulatory, policy and program initiatives technologies and processes offered by Canadian companies to public outreach activities. General Canada import requirements are also available at the .

Green building to Canada
PORTFOLIO: Foreign Affairs and Trade
URL: http://www.austrade.gov.au/green-building-to-canada/default.aspx
SNIPPET: (Last updated: 17 Jun 2009). Potential to reduce building energy costs, decrease green house gas emissions, reduce water consumption and increase building value has seen the green building industry as an emerging market in Canada. The Canada Green Building Council.

Public meetings on proposed solar facility
http://www.chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.php?v=8115

Call for applications for ACT Environment Grants
http://www.chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.php?v=8114

Water Market Rules and Water Charge (Termination Fees) Rules Public Notice
http://www.environment.gov.au/water/policy-programs/water-act/market-charge-rules.html
The Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, signed the water market rules and termination fee rules on 10 June 2009.

Human Activity and the Environment
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-201-x/16-201-x2009000-eng.htm

Governments Investing in CCS Demonstrations
Recent global action to fund carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is unprecedented. New project funding announced last month in the European Union, Canada, Australia and the United States is building momentum for accelerating the use of CCS to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The G8’s goal of 20 demonstrations announced by 2010–a goal that once seemed insurmountable–could be within reach.In Australia, the federal government allocated USD$2 billion to build between two and four coal-fired power plants, each generating up to 1,000 MW, that have CCS capabilities. This funding action came shortly after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the formation of the $70 million, investor-backed Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute. (Note: All funding references in this article are in USD$.) Canada, another coal-dependent country, announced a clean energy fund that offers nearly $600 million for CCS demonstration projects as part of its economic stimulus package.

Canada: Environmental Sustainability Indicators 2008

Indicators provide a simple way to convey complex information on the environment, much like the gross domestic product, the consumer price index and the unemployment rate do for the economy. Through the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) initiative, the federal government reports on environmental indicators that track three issues of key concern to Canadians:

+ Air Quality
+ Water Quality
+ Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The overall conclusion of this year’s report is that while water is of high quality in many areas and the ground-level ozone and greenhouse gas indicators show slight signs of improvement in recent years, air quality, water quality and greenhouse gas emissions continue to be of concern

Environment Accounts and Statistics Technical Paper Series

The series covers environment accounts and indicators, environmental surveys, spatial environmental information and other research related to environmental statistics. The technical paper series is intended to stimulate discussion on a range of environmental topics.

Achieving sustainability of the energy sector in Canada

Achieving sustainability of the energy sector in Canada
Energy represents a major sustainable-development challenge for Canada. In the short term, labour shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks are likely to hinder energy developments and need to be addressed.In addition, provincial fiscal management could be improved by adopting prudent allocation and withdrawal rules of revenues from non-renewable resources to and from a long-term fund. Eventually the main challenge will be to curb greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), despite the rapid expansion of high emitting sectors. The effectiveness of environmental policies could be enhanced by better federal-provincial coordination. Efforts should be concentrated on designing and implementing an missions-trading scheme compatible with corresponding systems abroad. Finally, effective and efficient systems of regulation and taxation are essential to facilitate the timely realisation of energy supply plans.

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ENERGY SECTOR IN CANADA

ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT WORKING PAPER No. 618
By
Annabelle Mourougane

Energy represents a major sustainable-development challenge for Canada. In the short term, labour
shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks are likely to hinder energy developments and need to be addressed.
In addition, provincial fiscal management could be improved by adopting prudent allocation and
withdrawal rules of revenues from non-renewable resources to and from a long-term fund. Eventually the
main challenge will be to curb greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), despite the rapid expansion of high
emitting sectors. The effectiveness of environmental policies could be enhanced by better
federal-provincial coordination. Efforts should be concentrated on designing and implementing an
emissions-trading scheme compatible with corresponding systems abroad. Finally, effective and efficient
systems of regulation and taxation are essential to facilitate the timely realisation of energy supply plans.