And the benefits The time has now come for greater partnership would be spread across Canada, in both large between municipalities and the federal govern- and small communities, rather than being ment – and for the federal government to put in isolated in one or a few pockets. [...] Key priority areas: MUNICIPALITIES PLAY • Sustainable transportation Municipalities are both the engine of the • Energy efficiency of buildings Canadian economy and the place where most • Renewable electricity and conservation of the solutions for Canada’s pursuit of a green • Wastewater treatment and water economy reside. [...] The externalization of costs associated with GHG emissions, road use, water b. Adapting to climate change: The risks and consumption and pollution limits the market’s opportunities of the future include climate ability to prevent economic losses and environ- change and the need for climate resilience, mental harm. [...] The time has come for greater part- formulas requires new research and collabo- nership between municipalities and the federal ration among all orders of government, to government – and for the federal government establish the user costs of public infrastruc- to put in place the policy framework that will ture, coordinate user-pay policies in specific multiply the benefits of municipal action. [...] It is Significant time and energy have been spent to found increasingly in the words of heads of date debating the most divisive sustainability state and finance ministers, in the text of issues, at the expense of moving forward on sim- G20 communiqués, and discussed in the ple, agreed-upon cost-effective initiatives.
Authors
- Pages
- 48
- Published in
- Canada
