Manitoba

Targets and Goals

• Manitoba aims to meet or exceed its Kyoto goals by reducing emissions by over three megatonnes (Mts) by 2012 through in-Manitoba actions. This target is reflected in climate change legislation and backed by over 60 actions outlined in Beyond Kyoto, Manitoba's updated climate change action plan.

Top Actions

Energy Efficiency

• A new CAD$35 million (US$28 million) fund has been established (using profits from Manitoba Hydro's electricity exports) to target home-efficiency upgrades especially for low-income families, and for alternative energy research and development such as geothermal power. Manitoba's Low Income Energy Efficiency Initiative is designed to substantially reduce energy use while lowering bills, providing new jobs and increasing skills within lower-income communities. Retrofits to date in 150 low-income dwellings have saved approximately CAD$400 (US$320) per household on annual utility costs and the province will be rolling out a province-wide program with a target of 4,600 dwellings over the next three years.
• The provincial government has a new Green Building Policy that requires a minimum of LEED® Silver standards and applies to new residential, commercial and institutional projects funded by the Government of Manitoba, including Crown corporations and agencies.
• Manitoba Hydro's Power Smart program has a number of residential and commercial programs that act as incentives for energy efficiency. To the end of 2005/06, Power Smart efforts have achieved estimated electricity demand and energy savings of 232 MW and 1026 GWh of energy savings along with 15 million cubic metres of natural gas.  Annual savings to the consumer are estimated at CAD$28 million (US$21.7 million) in electricity and CAD$8 million (US$6.2 million) in natural gas. By 2017/18 total energy savings are anticipated to be 848 MW and 2695 GWh and 140 million cubic metres of natural gas.

Renewable Energy

• In November 2008, the province announced a new 300 MW wind farm in St. Joseph, Manitoba, which will be Canada's largest wind farm once completed. The project will generate electricity from 130 turbines, displacing 800,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually.
• Manitoba announced in 2008 a province-wide geothermal program which provides incentives and tax credits for homeowners and commercial building owners as well as financial assistance to the industry to expand their drilling capacity. Since 2000, Manitoba has quadrupled its annual rate of heat pump installations; has trained over half of Canada's heat pump installers; leads Canada in installations per capita; and the geothermal heat pump industry has grown from CAD$3 million (US$2.4 million) to CAD$30 million (US$24 million) annually, during the same period.

Clean Transport

• Manitoba is creating a new Driving Green program that will include measures to speed up the retirement of older vehicles, banning the import of older high-emitting vehicles and expanded anti-idling programs.
• New climate change legislation (2008) requires a made-in-Manitoba approach to ensure that a greater percentage of high-efficiency vehicles become part of the private fleet. A Vehicle Standards Advisory Board has been established to help determine an efficiency standard or emissions standard to take effect, in conjunction with the California standard, by 2010.

Sustainable Land Use

• A new Manitoba Sustainable Agriculture Practices Program will provide technical and financial assistance to producers to reduce on-farm GHG emissions including cropping and livestock strategies while providing environmental, social and economic co-benefits, including soil and water quality. In economic terms, the program will help producers buffer the cost of moving to more sustainable farming practices and increase resiliency on the farm. Potential economic benefits may include reduced production costs, competitive advantages, and credits to sell on the carbon market, lower input costs and emerging eco-markets.
• A Climate-Friendly Farm Woodlot Practices Program will enhance carbon sequestration and ecological resilience by rejuvenating woodlots. It will also stimulate rural economic development and bioenergy crop options in Manitoba. The province will provide extension services to farm producers to implement sustainable woodlot management and build capacity for bioenergy production.

Fiscal Measures and Market-Based Mechanisms

• Manitoba has joined the Western Climate Initiative which is developing multi-sector, market-based mechanisms including a regional cap and trade program to reduce GHG emissions towards the regional target of 15% below 2005 levels by 2020. More recently, Manitoba also signed the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Accord which aims to develop market-based and multi-sector cap and trade mechanisms to achieve reduction targets.
• A Green Business network will be formed in 2008. This group will identify fiscal mechanisms, such as tax shifting, and will compile and promote best practices and success stories that are taking place in Manitoba businesses.

Legislation

• New climate change legislation includes a new coal-reduction strategy including a tax on coal emissions and the closing down of Manitoba's last remaining coal plan, measures to modernize highway traffic laws to ensure that leading-edge, low- and no-emissions vehicles can be sold and driven in Manitoba, and a requirement to meet the provincial target of reducing emissions 6% below 1990 levels by 2012.

Contact Information

Neil Cunningham
Acting Director
Manitoba Science, Technology, Energy and Mines
Energy, Climate Change & Green Initiatives
Tel: +1 204 945 8793
Neil.Cunningham@gov.mb.ca

Key Links

Manitoba Climate & Green Initiatives

Beyond Kyoto: Manitobas Green Future

Climate Change and Emissions Reductions Act