TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2008 -- Canada NewsWire

he Ontario government is taking another important step in our commitment to fighting climate change and ensuring a cleaner greener Ontario by joining a pre-eminent U.S.-based climate change initiative, The Climate Registry.

"The real action and leadership on climate change is happening at the state and provincial level," said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. "Ontario is eager to work with those jurisdictions that are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions now and establishing a sustainable green economy."

Ontario is moving forward with an aggressive and integrated approach to tackling climate change. The government has announced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets of six per cent below 1990 levels by 2014, 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050. Ontario will achieve these targets while creating a more diverse, sustainable economy for the province.

Through The Climate Registry, Ontario will work with jurisdictions such as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, as well as American tribes and the majority of U.S. States, who are all currently members. This will provide an important foundation for the development of a strong emissions trading system, a key to addressing climate change here in Ontario.

The Climate Registry is a collaboration aimed at developing and managing a common GHG emissions reporting system that will measure, track, verify and publicly report GHG emissions across borders and industry sectors. The Registry will support voluntary, market-based and regulatory reporting programs. It will provide transparent and consistent GHG emissions data from its members, as well as a robust accounting and verification infrastructure.

"As a province, we are putting our name forward to be counted among the leaders in climate change," said Gerretsen. "These partnerships and affiliations will help us achieve our twin goals of a cleaner environment and a stronger economy."

The Climate Registry

PRESS RELEASE

For Release: January 15, 2008

Contact: Nancy Whalen

(323) 788-8400/ nancy@climateregistry.org

or Katharine Fatton (213) 891-1444 x 113

54 Organizations Take Action on Climate Change

Founding Reporters are first to join The Climate Registry

WASHINGTON DC - Fifty-four corporations, state and local governments, and other organizations stepped up to the plate and achieved Founding Reporter status by being the first to join The Climate Registry. The Climate Registry is a non-profit organization established to measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in a common, accurate and transparent manner consistent across industry sectors and borders. Thirty nine U.S. states; five Canadian provinces; three Native American tribes; two Mexican states; and the District of Columbia established The Climate Registry.

"These Founding Reporters courageously stepped forward to demonstrate exemplary environmental leadership on a global scale by committing to participate in The Climate Registry during its preliminary stages. We are deeply grateful for their integral support of this critical initiative," said Gina McCarthy, Chair, of The Climate Registry Board.

Founding Reporters have voluntarily committed to measure, independently verify, and publicly report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on an annual basis utilizing The Climate Registry's General Reporting Protocol. The protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG measurement standards of the World Resources Institute and World Business Council on Sustainable Development.

The following corporations and government entities stepped forward to be the first to participate in The Climate Registry: Alcoa Intalco & Wenatchee; Alliant Environmental, LLC; Appliance Recycling Centers of America; Arizona Public Service Company; Austin Energy; Bentley Prince Street; Cameron-Cole, LLC; City of Austin, Texas; City of Roseville, California; City of Seattle, Washington; Cormetech, Inc; Coastal Conservation League; Covanta Energy Corp; Duke Energy Corporation; Earth Advantage, Inc; Ecos Consulting; EcoSecurities; ETC Group, LLC; First Environment; Great River Energy; Innovative Bio-Technologies, LLC; Jacques Whitford Limited; Kennecott Land Company; Kennecott Utah Copper; Kleinfelder, Inc; Los Alamos National Lab; Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; MotivEarth, LLC; National Grid; Newmont Nevada Energy Investment, LLC; PacifiCorp; PG&E; PPG Industries, Inc; SAIC Environmental Consultants; Salt Lake City Corporation; Salt Lake County, Utah; Shell Oil Company; South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control; Salt River Project; SWCA; Symbiotic Engineering, LLC; The City of Greenville, South Carolina; The City of Long Beach, California; The City of Wilmington, Delaware; The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources; The U.S. Postal Service; TRC Solutions, Inc; Trihydro Corporation; Tropical Salvage, Inc.; USANA Health Sciences; Utah Department of Environmental Quality; Wolverine Power Cooperative; Worldwide Carbon, Inc; Xcel Energy.

Entities that join The Climate Registry before May 2008 receive Founding Reporter status.

Incorporated March 2007 in Washington, DC, The Climate Registry provides accurate and transparent measurement of GHG emissions and ensures consistency of measurement metrics across industry sectors and borders. The Climate Registry accounting infrastructure supports both voluntary and regulatory programs. For more information please visit, www.theclimateregistry.org.

SOURCE: Ontario Ministry of the Environment

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