Royal Assent of Bill C-33 supports farmers’ role in renewable resource sector
For more information, please contact:
Bob Friesen, CFA President: (613) 866-7611 (cell); bob@cfafca.ca
Brigid Rivoire, CFA Executive Director: (613) 715-3113 (cell); brigid@cfafca.ca
Janice Hall, CFA Director of Communications: (613) 236-3633 ext. 2322; janice@cfafca.ca
June 27, 2008
OTTAWA—The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) is pleased that Bill C-33, an Act to Amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, received Royal Assent on June 26, 2008.
Bill C-33 will allow the federal government to regulate biofuel content in gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil. By 2010, all gasoline sold in Canada will contain five per cent of renewable fuels, such as ethanol. By 2012, all diesel and heating oil sold in Canada to contain two per cent of renewable fuels. The Bill gives the federal government the authority to regulate the blending of conventional and non-conventional fuels, and track exports to determine the volume of renewable fuels contained as a percentage of the total amount of fuel used in Canada.
“Bill C-33 represents a significant contribution to both agriculture and the environment, so it's a win-win for the Canadian public, for farmers and for everybody involved,” said CFA President Bob Friesen.
This Bill fits well with CFA’s position that renewable fuels represent an important future revenue stream for farmers—one that will also help preserve the environment. It will empower farmers by establishing their important role within Canada’s burgeoning renewable resource sector.
“Canadian farmers are proud to work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as the Canadian public expects,” said Friesen, during an appearance before the Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources on June 25. “This Bill will ensure that industries across Canada will lower their reliance on non-renewable resources.”
“It’s vital that we support domestic production and infrastructure to ensure Canadians don’t have to rely on imports of ethanol. We should instead work to build the capacity to produce it here,” he added. “Our visions is to see numerous ethanol manufacturers across Canada, rather than only a few centralized manufacturers in order to further lower transportation costs for farmers, decrease greenhouse gases and create jobs in various regions of Canada,” said Friesen.
CFA anticipates that Bill C-33 will enable the development of new technologies to produce renewable fuel, such as: cellulose, non-food grains, agricultural waste, and biomass. “We believe we can continue to pursue science and make the industry even better and even more efficient,” said Friesen.
