SASKATCHEWAN TAKES ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Environment Minister David Forbes has returned from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference hosted by Canada and held in Montreal.

The conference was the first ever meeting of the 157 parties to the Kyoto Protocol, as well as the 11th conference of parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference ended with the release of the Montreal Action Plan, which includes the adoption of more than 40 decisions that will strengthen global efforts to fight climate change.

Minister Forbes represented Saskatchewan at both the UNFCC conference and the Leaders Summit on Dec. 5th and 6th, 2005. During the summit, Forbes attended daily sessions that brought together corporate, non-governmental and elected leaders to examine winning strategies and initiatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"I appreciated the opportunity to hear from, and meet with, people from around the world who are committed to working co-operatively to address climate change," Forbes said. "I was also pleased to have the opportunity at the Leaders Summit to represent Saskatchewan as a leader in utilizing innovative technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing economic competitiveness and protecting the environment."

During the first week of the conference, Saskatchewan displays and presentations featured the International Energy Association Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Program Weyburn C02 Monitoring and Storage Project.

"The Weyburn C02 Monitoring and Storage Project is an international effort that involves injecting and storing carbon dioxide underground into depleted oil and gas reservoirs to enhance production," Forbes said. "The project has demonstrated, on a commercial scale, that we can safely and reliably store carbon dioxide deep underground and use it to increase recovery from oil reservoirs - a good example of achieving both environmental and economic objectives.

"The Memorandum of Understanding on climate change that we signed with the federal government last month outlines the general framework we will use to implement a number of specific cost-shared climate change initiatives over the next five years. Forty million dollars will be provided to the first project for initial feasibility work on carbon dioxide capture and sequestration of more than eight mega tonnes of carbon dioxide annually from two potential large energy projects in Saskatchewan."

The Government of Saskatchewan also recently announced a $37 million program to promote energy conservation, the largest of any provincial government in Canada. The program encourages people to use programmable thermostats, Energy Star furnaces and boilers and to make other improvements to home energy efficiency, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province.

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For More Information, Contact:

Traci Braaten Environment Regina Phone: (306) 787-1611