The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Bernard Davis, Minister of Environment and Climate Change:

Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to recognize that April 22 was Earth Day.

We are experiencing the impacts of our changing climate each and every day. This is why we are working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect our natural environment, and reduce waste.

This year’s theme was ‘Invest in Our Planet’.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, our investments of time, energy and funding to battle climate change are paying off. The most recent greenhouse gas emissions for 2021 are 8.3 megatonnes – a 13 per cent decrease from 2020 and the second lowest level of emissions since 1992.  This positions us on our course towards achieving our net zero and emission reduction commitments.

We continue to advance our Climate Change Action Plan, and through our energy efficiency and fuel switching programs we are anticipated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 615,000 tonnes by 2030.

Today and every day, I encourage my fellow Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to find more ways to recycle, conserve energy used in your homes, plant a tree or participate in a local neighborhood cleanup – we can all do our part to protect the environment for future generations by making greener choices every day.