June 1, 2009

Introduction

Thank you, (emcee); and thank you to everyone for being here to today to help celebrate this exciting new partnership.

Your support for this initiative is truly welcome.

I think we all know that we need to become smarter about how we develop and consume our resources.

It’s smart for our economy, for our ability to compete as a nation, and for our environment.

And it’s a concept that Canadians understand.

Canadians are buying into it — and I mean that literally.

Just one example: in less than two years, more than 50,000 Canadians have made energy efficiency improvements to their homes with the help of our Government’s ecoENERGY Home Retrofit program.

They’ve made improvements that are helping to control energy costs and reduce their emissions.

Just as important, by making these smart decisions, Canadians are generating economic activity — creating and protecting jobs for thousands of Canadians who work at everything from window manufacturing to renovation contracting.

These are the kind of investments we need to stimulate our economy today and strengthen our economic foundation for the future.

That’s why our Government’s new Economic Plan includes an additional $300 million to continue the Home Retrofit program for another two years. And, thanks to the new Home Renovation Tax Credit introduced in this Plan, any Canadian who spends money on home renovations will be eligible to receive up to $1,350 in tax relief.

This funding will allow another 200,000 homeowners to participate in the program — making their homes more energy-efficient and generating $2.4 billion in economic activity in communities across the country.

That’s a good investment — an investment that provides both immediate returns and lasting benefits for homeowners, for our economy, and for our environment.

Canadian expertise

We can do more, especially when it comes to houses and buildings.

We can do that because, when it comes to houses and buildings, we have the knowledge and we are continually striving to improve the technology.

Together, Canadians have developed and refined new, more energy efficient building designs, materials and techniques — nobody knows how to build efficient homes like we do.

The Government of Canada’s CanmetENERGY scientists have achieved milestones like our R-2000 Home program, which guides the design and construction of energy efficient homes.

Our Advanced Housing Program has accelerated the development of new housing technologies and has further cut an R2000 home’s energy consumption in half.

Through the Super-E Home — we are sending our expertise around the world.

There are now more than 500 Super-E homes in the United Kingdom alone.

Last fall, the first Canadian-designed net-zero energy home opened in Japan — a home that produces as much energy as it consumes.

Components for that house in Japan, from the triple-pane windows to a geothermal heat pump, were supplied by Canadian companies from five different provinces.

This is a landmark achievement all Canadians should be proud of.

Equilibrium Communities

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are taking what we have learned from these designs and from our ongoing research to continue to advance the state of the art — to ensure we maintain Canada’s reputation as the leader in energy-efficient housing and building technologies.

In partnership with CMHC and some of Canada’s most innovative builders, we have 15 EQuilibrium Healthy Housing demonstration homes nearing completion across Canada.

These homes, supported through the EQuilibrium partnership, are designed to take advantage of their specific environment — from solar, space and water heating to landscaping that reduces air conditioning and water use.

Today, our Government is taking the next step — from houses to communities.

It’s important to understand that these communities will be more than clusters of energy-efficient homes.

These will be efficient, sustainable neighbourhoods, with designs driven by energy and water efficiency, sustainable land use and clean-energy transportation strategies — economically stronger neighbourhoods that are efficient and friendly for the environment and for the people who live in them.

Announcement

And I am pleased to announce today that the Government of Canada will contribute $4.2 million over the next three years to support the development of six EQuilibrium Communities across Canada.

In addition to this financial contribution, EQuilibrium Communities will benefit from the extensive technical expertise located within the Government of Canada’s CanmetENERGY, Canada’s leader in clean energy research and technology development.

In recognition of the contribution this project will make to developing and demonstrating new clean energy technologies, one-half of this funding commitment will be delivered through the ecoENERGY Technology Initiative.

Investments made under the ecoENERGY Technology Initiative continue to support research and development activities and help bring clean energy technologies to market.  Recently, I announced that our Government will fund eight proposals for the development and demonstration of carbon capture and storage technologies through this initiative.

To meet the challenge posed by climate change, we need to make greater use of technologies that do not emit greenhouse gases.

Conclusion

As we focus on our immediate difficulties, we must also continue to move forward.

That is why investments like this one are important.

Our Government is taking action to advance our understanding and use of these innovative Canadian technologies and design strategies.  And this is key to creating and securing high-quality jobs for Canadians today and in the future.

That’s why the this Government has committed more than $3.9 billion to our ecoENERGY initiatives — to increase our supply of clean energy and cleaner fuels; to increase energy efficiency; and to accelerate the development and use of cleaner technologies, from solar water-heating systems to carbon capture and storage.

And in our Economic Action Plan for Canada, we’ve committed another $1 billion over five years for a new Clean Energy Fund, adding to our support for the development and demonstration of these crucial technologies — crucial for our environment and crucial for our economy.

This type of investment stimulates economic activity now, and at the same time it helps to build a more efficient, competitive and sustainable Canada for the long term.

And working together — government, industry, Canadians — we can do that.

Thank you very much.