Brad Wall Announces Saskatchewan Party “Go Green” Plan
Green Incentives Will Help Consumers “Go Green” and Reduce Emissions
Brad Wall has announced the Saskatchewan Party’s new ideas to help Saskatchewan people, businesses and institutions like schools and hospitals “Go Green” and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“A Saskatchewan Party government will introduce ‘greencentives’ for Saskatchewan people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their day-to-day lives,” Wall said.
These “greencentives” include:
- low interest loans of up to $25,000 through SaskPower and SaskEnergy to install geothermal, solar and small-scale wind power systems in homes;
- reducing SGI registration and insurance costs for 2006 and later model hybrid vehicles and high fuel efficiency vehicles by 20 per cent – a saving of about $200 a year for environmentally-friendly vehicles; and
- extending energy conservation programs such as the Energuide program and the PST rebate on Energy Star appliances and heating systems for another four years.
“These are all steps that Saskatchewan people and families can take to become more environmentally-friendly, and we want to help them out,” Wall said.
Wall said low interest loans will also be available to Saskatchewan business and institutions like schools and hospitals that want to convert to environmentally-friendly energy, and a Saskatchewan Party government will support the development of Saskatchewan’s biofuels industry through new growth tax incentives and implementation of a mandatory 2.5 per cent bio-diesel blend, once provincial capacity is capable of meeting demand.
“Government also has to do its part to reduce its own environmental footprint,” Wall said. “A Saskatchewan Party government will ‘Go Green’ by ensuring that all new government vehicles are hybrid or high fuel efficiency vehicles, and by ensuring that all government departments set measurable goals and targets to reduce their environmental footprint and report publicly on their progress.
Wall said a Saskatchewan Party government will work with industry and Crown Corporations to meet the province’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to:
- stabilize greenhouse gas emissions by 2010;
- reduce greenhouse gases by 32 per cent from current levels by 2020; and
- reduce greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050.
A Saskatchewan Party government will also ensure that carbon offsets or penalties imposed by the federal government on heavy greenhouse gas emitters stay in Saskatchewan and contribute to the Saskatchewan Green Initiatives Fund.
“A greener Saskatchewan is an important part of the Saskatchewan Party plan to secure the future,” Wall said.
Background Information
To read more about the Saskatchewan Party's Go Green Plan, click here.
For more information, Saskatchewan Party, Regina, 359-1638 or 1-800-966-9611.