24 February 2005canada.com
Small-and medium-sized businesses that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency will have access to money announced in the federal budget, Environment Minister Stephane Dion said Thursday.
"They will find financial help through this fund that will be like an environmental bank," Dion said a day after Finance Minister Ralph Goodale delivered $3 billion in new environmental spending.
Dion said the budget focuses on incentives to deter polluters.
"For the average Canadian, if businesses use this budget the way we think, it will decrease costs and have cleaner sources of energy," Dion said after a speech to a conference on greenhouse emissions.
Farmers also will have access to this money if they reduce emissions, he said.
The budget centrepiece for environmentalists is a $1-billion Clean Fund to stimulate projects that cut greenhouse emissions, in compliance with the Kyoto climate treaty. However, the budget didn't specifically mention the Kyoto treaty.
Dion reiterated he will soon reveal the Liberal government's plan to implement the Kyoto treaty. But he said taking measures to prevent climate change are paramount.
"To me, climate change is more important than Kyoto. Kyoto is the first step. Climate change is a long marathon. Humanity needs to cut its emissions by half and Kyoto is only five per cent (reduction)."
In the budget, the new environmental funding is accompanied by $5 billion for municipalities, much of which will be spent on environmental objectives such as improved mass transit.
