October 15, 2007

I am pleased to be here on behalf of the Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communities, the Honourable Lawrence Cannon. 

Addressing the environment is a key priority of this Conservative Government, and increasingly of Canadians.  We have chosen to take a balanced approach to addressing air quality and climate change in a number of sectors – involving both regulatory and new programs and initiatives.  The transportation sector is a major element of this Government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Transport Canada and Natural Resources Canada are proceeding with the implementation of the ecoTRANSPORT Strategy.  This strategy encompasses a number of innovative initiatives involving passenger and freight transport.

The freight sector is an important element of this strategy and presents a considerable challenge given our expanding economy and increased trade.  Governments and the private sector will need to find innovative ways to decouple greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and economic growth.  Technology will be among the key tools which will help us in addressing this challenge.

I am pleased that the Canadian Trucking Alliance is actively engaged and leading the way in finding approaches to address air emissions in the trucking sector. 

The enviroTruck presents an exciting opportunity.  It is not a truck of the future - the technologies for fuel efficiency showcased here are real and available on the market today.

The trucking industry has proven to be a true leader in adopting new technologies that reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutants.  Earlier this year, J.D. Smith won the first annual Supply Chain and Logistic Green Supply Chain Award, which acknowledges companies that have set and exceeded high standards for environmental friendliness in the handling and shipment of their products to customers.

In the last few years, Transport Canada has also played an important role in helping to reduce the uncertainty pertaining to fuel efficient technology and best practices.  We have funded a number of demonstration projects on technologies such as:

• cab climate control systems,
• tires,
• driver training technologies,
• aerodynamic trailer attachments, and
• biofuels.
  

The aim of our new program, ecoFREIGHT, is to reduce the environmental and health effects of freight transportation through the use of technology. 

Under this program, the Freight Technology Demonstration Fund provides the freight industry and technology providers with cost-shared funding to test new and underutilized technologies in real world conditions.
 
Transport Canada’s Freight Technology Incentive Program provides funding to support the purchase and installation of proven technologies that can reduce the emissions of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions.  These involve cost-shared funding on a competitive basis. 

There will be several rounds of funding for each program.  The first round is currently underway and the application deadline is November 1st.

The National Harmonization Initiative is aimed at identifying and reducing provincial regulatory barriers to emissions reducing technologies in the trucking industry.  Transport Canada is collaborating with Canadian provinces and territories to reduce these barriers.

In closing, I want to thank the Canadian Trucking Alliance for putting on this event.  The trucking sector has already made significant progress in reducing emissions, particularly on air quality.  The Government looks forward to continuing to work with the trucking sector to make the truck more environmentally friendly.

Thank you.