Sustainable Prosperity for Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has proclaimed legislation aimed at making the province one of the cleanest and most sustainable environments in the world by 2020.

The proclamation took place yesterday, June 7, during national Environment Week. The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act was introduced in March by the minister of Environment and Labour and approved by Cabinet this week.

"This act recognizes that a healthy environment contributes to a healthy economy and to our long term prosperity," said Premier Rodney MacDonald. "This legislation stands on some of the best environmental work government and the private sector have produced in recent years."

The act features more than 20 targets to help Nova Scotia become cleaner and more sustainable.

The targets include:

• reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to 10 per cent less than 1990 levels, which is 35 per cent lower than projected 2020 levels;
• adopting emission standards for new motor vehicles by 2010;
• implementing a policy to prevent net loss of wetlands by 2009;
• developing and adopting a sustainable procurement policy for government by 2009;
• ensuring 18.5 per cent of electricity will come from renewable sources by 2013; and
• legally protecting 12 per cent of the province's land mass by 2015.

The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act commits to raising Nova Scotia's economic performance to the Canadian average or better by 2020.

"We will be achieving these goals through Nova Scotia's economic growth strategy, titled Opportunities for Sustainable Prosperity," said Premier MacDonald.

Nova Scotia will be one of a few provinces in Canada which have specific requirements for reporting environmental progress. The progress will be reported annually to the public.