Over the weekend and the next couple of days, Toronto is holding events as host city for World Environment Day 2011 as designated by the United Nations Environment Programme in honour of the environment. This year’s theme - Forests: Nature At Your Service - is a timely recognition of the many roles that forests play in our lives. In addition to being the lungs of the earth, trees help to prevent soil erosion, and protect sources of drinking water by stabilizing the banks of rivers and streams. That’s why planting trees and re-greening our landscape is a key part of the McGuinty government’s continued commitment to clean our air and fight climate change. This is also International Year of Forests, which underscores how vital this natural resource is to our well-being and quality of life.
Through our partnership with Trees Ontario, Premier Dalton McGuinty has committed to planting 50 million trees across southern Ontario by the year 2020. One of the most ambitious re-greening projects in North America, the 50 Million Tree Program is the single largest government action under the UN program to plant a billion trees. As they grow, these 50 million trees will help clean our air by removing about 6.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Partnerships are key to sustainable resource management. Last year, 21 major Canadian forest product companies collaborated with nine leading environmental organizations to create the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA). This agreement, which recognizes the shared responsibility all partners have in protecting our environment, applies to more than 76 million hectares of forest across Canada. Another example where industry and environmental NGOs joined forces is with the Forest Stewardship Council certification. This certification ensures that wood and paper products come from healthy, sustainable forests and strong communities.
The facilities of the Evergreen Brickworks, a rejuvenated complex on the grounds of what was once an industrial brick making site, reminds us that these types of partnerships go beyond the forestry sector. Just last week Holcim Canada and Environmental Defence launched SERA, (Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate). This organization aims to create, administer and promote widespread support for certification of responsibly sourced aggregates. On the same day, the Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association together with partners like Ontario Nature and Nature Conservancy Canada announced the Change Agenda. The goal of this partnership is to develop a certification program that will enhance standards of environmental stewardship and community engagement across Ontario’s aggregate industry. The Ontario government strongly supports these types of collaborative approaches to sustainable solutions.
Ontario's natural resources will continue to be an important part of the Ontario economy. It is our ongoing mission to ensure that this sector is equally dedicated to protecting environmental and social values and generating economic opportunity.
Linda Jeffrey,
Minister of Natural Resources
