Minister's Speech

Speaking remarks prepared for:

The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment

Biosciences Complex, Queen’s University

September 18, 2009
2:15 p.m

(Check against delivery)

Thank you, Dr. Rowe, for that kind introduction.  (Minister to be introduced by Dr. Kerry Rowe, Queen’s University Vice-Principal (Research) and event emcee)

Good afternoon, everyone. 

I’m pleased to be here at the Biosciences Complex today for this important announcement.

I want to bring greetings from Premier McGuinty and from my colleague, the Minister of Research and Innovation, the Honourable John Milloy.

GreenCentre Canada is an exciting place to be. 

The discoveries and developments happening here are going to help us build a new kind of future for Ontario.

As Minister of the Environment, I know that we are facing some big environmental and economic challenges.

Tackling these challenges is going to take our best and our brightest people working on the innovative products and processes that will help improve our air, our land and our water.

At the same time, it’s going to help build a strong, green economy and create new, good jobs for the people in our province. 

We are committed to making Ontario one of the most innovative and globally competitive jurisdictions in the world.

To do this, we have to focus on taking research excellence and translating it into products and services that we can sell to the world.    

Our government knows that places dedicated to this process – from the lab to the marketplace – these are the places that are going to thrive in a competitive global economy. 

These are the places that people look to for the advancements that are going to make our world a better place to live. 

And that’s why we are here today.

I’m pleased to announce that our government is investing $13.6 million dollars in GreenCentre Canada.

This world-class centre is uniting academic research and industry to produce the next generation of green chemistry products.

It is offering the growing green chemistry industry one-stop access to assistance in testing and piloting new discoveries.

And it is helping industry find alternatives to toxics currently in use, and to develop and implement the new technologies that are integral to getting safe, green consumer products to the marketplace faster. 

We are proud to support the kind of innovations that are driving the reduction of toxic substances in our environment, and paving the way for the breakthrough products of tomorrow.

Our Toxics Reduction Strategy is a balanced approach to protecting human health and the environment while supporting the transformation of business in Ontario to a new green economy.

Our recently passed Toxics Reduction Act is a key part of this strategy.

We will be providing $24 million over three years to help regulated facilities comply with the act’s requirements, and to support early actions to reduce toxics. 

This investment will also support innovation in green chemistry and engineering.

We are planning to establish public reporting systems that will allow Ontarians to monitor facilities’ reduction progress so that they can make informed choices.  

The funding we announced today for GreenCentre Canada is another step that is making a difference to Ontario and Ontarians. 

It’s clear that Ontarians want us to act now to reduce toxics in their environment so they can enjoy a healthy quality of life.

They want to be able to purchase green products that are safe for their families and the environment.

And of course, they want a strong economy, and the jobs that come with it.
Places like GreenCentre Canada show that this is all interrelated, and achievable. 

It’s clear that a clean, green environment, a robust economy, and peoples’ health and wellbeing, are vitally connected.

As our Premier says, “In today’s world, to grow your economy you must green your economy.”

New products, technologies and environmental services are key catalysts driving Ontario’s transformation as we take our place in the emerging global green economy.

Developments in the green chemistry field are going to help get us where we need to be. 

There’s also a great need for support that will help Ontario families and businesses make a full economic recovery from the recession.

This is why we’re moving to a modern, made-in-Ontario single sales tax and cutting taxes for families and businesses. 

It’s the most important step we can take to make Ontario a more attractive place for businesses to invest.

Centres of innovation and expertise, like this one, are strengthening Ontario’s role in the emerging green global economy, by attracting investment, boosting our competitiveness, and creating highly skilled, green-collar jobs.

About 250 jobs will be created here. 

And it is expected that through five years of operation, GreenCentre Canada will commercialize a total of 50 green chemistry technologies, execute 10 license agreements with companies, and create six start-up companies in Ontario. 

This is great news, for Queen’s, for Kingston, and for Ontario.

It speaks to our ability to lead the way in delivering the next generation of jobs to Ontarians.

As I mentioned earlier, the Ontario Legislature passed the Toxics Reductions Act in June.

The act focuses industries on reducing their use of toxic chemicals at the front end of the industrial process. 

And it requires regulated facilities to monitor and track their current use, creation and release of toxics.   

I’m pleased to tell you that today we are posting the draft regulation under our Toxic Reductions Act for public and stakeholder comment.  It will be available on the Environmental Registry for 31 days.

The draft regulation sets out the requirements that regulated facilities must meet to comply with the act.
 
It outlines the proposed rules on tracking, quantifying, planning and reporting on the substances they use and create, as well as the timelines for these activities.

About 2,000 facilities would be required to report to the province and the public on how they plan to reduce their use of toxics.

We firmly believe that Ontarians have the right to know about toxics in their communities, and public reporting by facilities, as set out in regulation, would enable this.

This approach is intended to encourage the creation of well-paying, green-collar jobs and investment resulting from innovation and scientific research in green chemistry here in Ontario. 

Events like this one today remind us that Ontario is second-to-none in its potential to fill the need for technologies and products to help reduce toxics.

GreenCentre Canada’s innovations are helping lead us to the cutting-edge products we need to succeed in the new green economy.

They are helping to protect the health and well-being of our communities.

They are making Ontario an even better place to be.

Thank you. 

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