NEWS HIGHLIGHT
Canada Passes Biofuels Bill
Ottawa, Ont. – The Government of Canada announced yesterday that its biofuels legislation passed through the House of Commons. The legislation is the first of its kind in Canada.
Bill C-33 allows requirements that all gasoline sold in Canada contain
five per cent ethanol by 2010, and all diesel and heating oil contain
two per cent renewable fuels by 2012. The legislation will now proceed
to the Senate of Canada for debate.
The Government introduced Canada’s Biofuels Strategy in 2006 to increase opportunities in the biofuels industry and ensure Canadians will have cleaner air for generations to come.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says the biofuels strategy will create jobs in Canada's communities, local markets for farmers, and a new source of cleaner-burning, renewable fuel to protect our environment.
The biofuels strategy is part of the government’s balance plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. It also represents a tremendous economic opportunity for the country’s 61,000 grain and oilseeds producers as well as for those involved in the creation of the next generation of biofuels. The government is investing $500 million in the development of new biofuels technologies. Next generation technologies such as cellulosic biofuels are taking the discarded stocks of corn plants to produce fuel while sending the corn kernels back into the food supply.
In a press release, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association said that the House of Commons voted to "grow beyond oil" and "provide new opportunities for Canadian farmers, and bring about competition at the pump. With oil and gas prices at record highs, the case for viable alternatives to petroleum has never been stronger."
For more information about the Government of Canada’s Biofuels Strategy, please visit www.ecoaction.gc.ca .
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