Executive Council
December 12, 2016

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador:

Newfoundland and Labrador joins Pan-Canadian Framework to Address Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to say how pleased I was on Friday to join the Prime Minister and provincial and territorial counterparts in moving forward with the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

Consistent with the commitments made in the March 2016 Vancouver Declaration, the Pan-Canadian Framework‎ builds on actions of the provincial and territorial governments to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and identifies actions that will seize opportunities for clean economic growth throughout Canada.

In recognition of the diversity of provincial and territorial economies, First Ministers worked to ensure that the framework could accommodate fair and flexible approaches to fighting climate change.

Newfoundland and Labrador joins a framework that demonstrates we can work cooperatively as a nation, while still recognizing the specific and unique local circumstances this province faces.

A made-in-Newfoundland and Labrador plan will address this province's particular social, economic and fiscal realities while contributing to the fight against climate change.

Our plan will:

• Safeguard the competitiveness of onshore and offshore industries;
• Take account of significant costs we incur to decarbonize the electricity sector, remote and isolated diesel off-grid electricity generating systems, and transportation; and
• Ensure the province has full discretion to direct the use of any carbon price revenues.

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a serious global issue and all sectors will need to be part of the transition to a lower carbon economy. The Government of Newfoundland Labrador is pleased to work with the Government of Canada to make sure that we can contribute to the objectives outlined in the Pan-Canadian Framework.

Thank you.

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador joins Pan-Canadian Framework to Address Climate Change

2016 12 12             1:50 p.m.