News Conference
3 June 2008
The Bay, Rideau Centre, Ottawa

PARTICIPANTS:
Marc Gagnier, Vice-President of Operations, Hudson's Bay Company;
The Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources;
The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment

SUBJECT: Amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act

Hon. Gary Lunn:

Thank you very much, Mr. Gagnier [Marc Gagnier, Vice-president of Operations, Hudson's Bay Company].

It's great to be here. Before I begin I'd like to take this opportunity to thank The Bay for hosting us here today.

This is an important day for Canada and for our environment. As many of you already know, our government introduced a bill in the Senate today, an Act to Amend the Energy Efficiency Act.

I've often said the largest untapped source of energy in this country is the energy that we waste. This bill will allow us to tap into this vast resource. Energy efficiency means fewer emissions, a more competitive industry and more money in Canadians' pockets.

Energy efficiency works. And so does regulating energy efficiency. Let me give you an example.

Since the Energy Efficiency Act came into effect, the use of major appliances in Canadian households has increased by 38 percent. In that same period, the amount of energy consumed by major appliances has in fact decreased by 17 percent.

Today's bill allows us to implement energy-efficiency standards that will cover more products more effectively - including the power to set standards for products, such as thermostats, that actually affect energy use.

These changes make Canada one of the first countries in the world to regulate standby power in a comprehensive fashion.

Our government recently completed a very interesting study on this topic. It's important that we thank The Bay again along with other major retailers - Wal-Mart, Future Shop, Staples and Costco - for participating in our research along with BC Hydro. Your willingness to participate shows your dedication to the environment.

Today, an average home has 25 or more common electronic devices that consume energy even when they are turned off - accounting for up to 10 percent of a household's annual electricity bill. In fact, older televisions, when they're in the off-mode can consume anywhere from 20 to 30 watts of electricity. With today's technology, new televisions are designed to consume as little as one watt of standby power. By improving standby power standards, we can save enough electricity to power 300,000 homes or the equivalent of shutting down a large coal-fired power plant.

Today's bill also allows for improvements to familiar EnerGuide label making it easier for us as consumers to compare the energy performance of various products.

With the introduction of these new regulations, Canada will continue to set international standards without becoming out of step with our major trading partners.

For example, Canada, the United States and Mexico are part of the North American Energy Working Group. This has facilitated cooperation on efficiency standards in areas like standby power and labelling.

Our energy-efficiency bill demonstrates real action that will lead to real practical results for Canadians. The changes are part of our balanced approach to achieving a healthier environment while ensuring that future generations of Canadians are provided the same economic opportunities that we enjoy today.

Canadians want our country to be a leader on the global fight against climate change. Our government is committed to that same goal, and with initiatives like the one we announced today, we are making that happen.

I'd like to thank you, and I'd now like to introduce my good friend and colleague, John Baird, the Minister of Environment.

Minister Baird is someone who has championed the environment on so many fronts. I've had the pleasure of working with John for the last two years - whether creating new parks, protecting areas, reducing pollution or fighting to ensure that we have the toughest regulations anywhere to reduce greenhouse gases - John is a champion.

Hon. John Baird:

Thank you very much, Gary [the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources].

Today, we're proposing to amend the Energy Efficiency Act. It's probably not a headline that will immediately jump off the newspaper page for the average person. But what should stand out to Canadians is that these particular amendments are going to put their hard-earned dollars back in their own pockets, right where they belong, and help the environment at the same time.

Standby power, or the power that electric devices consume while they're switched off, is wasted power, and wasted power is wasted money.

Right now, Canadians have only one option to address standby power and that's to cut it off at the source. But, as Gary has just said, it's highly impractical to expect Canadians to pull the plug on their TVs, clocks and computers when these devices are not in use.

Canadians need new options. Our government is taking real action today by amending the Energy Efficiency Act. Industry has the ability and the creative ingenuity to offer Canadians better choices by making better products that use energy in a much more conservative way. And as Canadians begin to use electronics and appliances that consume much less energy, the benefits of these amendments will begin flowing to the big winner in today's announcement, which is the environment.

Currently, our homes use too much energy, and we're responsible for a portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that lead to dangerous climate change. As a responsible government, it falls on us to set the tone for how Canada can address this issue in a very meaningful and practical way.

When we introduced the Turning the Corner action plan, we made it clear that in order to reach our objective of an absolute 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, certain things would have to change. Among them, as Minister Lunn has said, are the energy-efficiency standards that govern how certain products must function once consumers take them off the shelves and plug them in at home. It only makes sense to do this.

The bottom line here is that for far too long we've all been living way beyond our means with respect to energy. And while the waste has not been self-generated, it has still contributed to the environmental challenges that plague our planet today.

Today, we're taking real action in the fight against climate change. On va trouver les vrais résultats dans la lutte contre les changements climatiques.

Merci beaucoup.