February 16, 2010

Thank you Paul Kluckner and good morning everyone! Welcome to Library Square!

I'm delighted to be joined here this morning by the Honourable John Yap, Minister of State for Climate Action here in British Columbia, who's doing such an outstanding job for the people of this province. 

Not enough can be said about the important leadership role Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has taken to ensure the sustainability achievements of these Games are significant. Dan Doyle, Executive Vice-President, VANOC construction, and Linda Coady, Vice-President, VANOC sustainability, are with us today, and I congratulate them and their team for the work they've done on behalf of these Games.

Today, we are taking another important step towards making the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games environmentally excellent.

I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada's is committing to offset federal greenhouse gas emissions for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This is the first time in Olympic history a national government has made such a commitment.

The Government of Canada will be offsetting an estimated 7,600 tonnes of emissions that are expected to be created by its activities in support of the 2010 Olympic Games. This includes the activities of thousands of employees involved in providing essential federal services and security, as well as the emissions from the Torch Relay for items such as Games-time air travel, Games-time accommodation and Games-time operations.

After the games, offsets will be calculated using a scientifically-based quantification methodology. The estimated $150,000 it will take to offset federal employeeactivities will then be invested in carbon reduction initiatives which could include biomass gasification systems for renewable heat and power production, electricity production from hydrogen fuel cells or reduced carbon-footprint silviculture.

Today's announcement is one of the many ways that our Government is contributing to Games sustainability and meeting our climate change responsibilities. 

My department, Environment Canada, has been working with the VANOC and other Games partners to make sustainability a defining characteristic of the 2010 Winter Games. And our efforts are going a long way towards helping make these the most sustainable Games to date.

Vancouver, in 2010, will set a new standard for environmental sustainability. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Harper, these Games will demonstrate our commitment to the world and create a precedent for others to follow.

I am proud of our Government's active involvement in these efforts. Environment Canada's scientific expertise helped us conduct environmental assessments that allowed VANOC to create Olympic Venues with incredibly modest ecological footprints. This work was important, allowing the protection of local species and the preservation of old-growth forests and wetlands.

Environment Canada also contributed to a business case study that helped maximize the energy and environmental performance of 2010 Games venues. This study resulted in an Olympic and Paralympic curling facility that includes innovative sustainability features like waste heat re-use. It also includes bioswales-small ponds that collect, filter and then return water to the water table, reducing runoff from the site. 

I'm pleased to see that these and other creative, environmentally-friendly innovations have been incorporated into other Olympic venues, including the Richmond Oval for speed skating and Vancouver's Olympic Village.

These novel and creative designs not only make the 2010 Winter Games incredibly sustainable but they showcase to the world Canadian technologies and practices. 

By demonstrating our unique capabilities in environmental planning, design and technologies, the 2010 Winter Games will accelerate the adoption, application and promotion of Canadian know-how globally. They will show the world what Canada has to offer, and cement Canada's reputation as a leader in environmental sustainability.

Even more importantly, these Games will send a clear message: that Canada is serious about climate change. 

The Olympic Games have always reflected the unifying spirit of athletic competition. In Vancouver, in 2010, they will also reflect the world's common challenge of preserving the planet for future generations. Canada, and Canadians, can be proud of the leadership role our country is playing in those efforts.

Thank you.