Canada and the U.S. Work Together on Clean Energy Dialogue

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jun 30 (MARKET WIRE) --
The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, today delivered
closing remarks at the first Canada-U.S. Clean Energy Dialogue (CED)
Roundtable meeting in Washington. The CED represents the first stage in
Canada-U.S. collaboration on clean energy and climate change.

Following two days of discussions between the CED working groups and
close to fifty private sector, academic, and non-governmental experts,
both Minister Prentice and U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu were
optimistic about the progress made.

"The work being done under the Clean Energy Dialogue will allow our two
countries to work together to build a new clean energy economy even as we
move ahead with our broader economic recovery and reinvestment efforts,"
said Minister Prentice. "We are cooperating to encourage the development
of clean energy technologies, to advance our respective environmental and
energy objectives, and to reduce greenhouse gases."

The Clean Energy Dialogue was established by Prime Minister Stephen
Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama following the President's first
visit to Canada in February 2009. It is designed to advance collaboration
in three key areas:

- Clean energy research and development;

- Development and deployment of clean energy technology, and;

- Building a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable
energy.

Continental action is an important part of Canada's climate change plan
and will reinforce Canada's domestic goal of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions by 20 percent from 2006 levels by 2020. The CED will also
contribute to the creation of a Canada-U.S. clean energy sector that will
further lend support to Canada's commitment to ensuring that 90 percent
of electricity be provided by non-emitting sources by 2020.

At the Roundtable meeting participants began developing an Action Plan
that will be presented to Minister Prentice and Secretary Chu in
mid-July. Over the next couple of months, working groups will continue to
consult with provinces and private sector leaders to finalize a joint
Action Plan on clean energy that will be presented to Prime Minister
Harper and President Obama in August 2009.

Egalement offert en francais

Contacts:
Office of the Minister of the Environment
Bill Rodgers
Director of Communications
819-997-1441

Environment Canada
Media Relations
819-934-8008
1-888-908-8008
www.ec.gc.ca

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