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Brian Mulroney to be Honoured as Greenest PM in Canadian History in Gala Event |
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Written by Wire Services
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Wednesday, 19 April 2006 |
Brian Mulroney will be honoured by Corporate Knights, the Canadian magazine for responsible business, as the Greenest Prime Minister in Canadian History this Earth Week on April 20th at a dinner in Ottawa. A program of speeches will include remarks by Rick Mercer, Elizabeth May (representing the selection jury), the Hon. Jean Charest (speaking as a former federal Environment Minister), Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and former Prime Minister Mulroney.
To determine the winner of the Greenest PM award, Corporate Knights polled twelve prominent Canadians including 10 environmentalists (such as Elizabeth May and Monte Hummel), one historian and one former Federal Environment Minister on the question of which Prime Minister accomplished the most to improve Canada's environment.
The Head table will include:
Hon. Jean Charest
Madame Michelle Dionne
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Laureen Harper
Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney
Mila Mulroney
Toby Heaps, Editor Corporate Knights
Karen Kun, Publisher Corporate Knights, co-MC
Ben Mulroney, co-MC
Hon. Sheila Copps
Elizabeth May, Sierra Club
Nowetu Ethel LUTI, Counsellor & Chargé d'Affaires, South Africa High Commission
Louis Fortier, ArcticNet not-for-profit of choice for Mr. Mulroney
Rick Mercer, CBC
Part of the proceeds of the evening will be donated to ArcticNet (www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca), a Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada that brings together scientists and managers in the natural, human health and social sciences with their partners in Inuit organizations, northern communities, government and industry to help Canadians face the impacts and opportunities of climate change in the Arctic.
Over 100 ArcticNet researchers from 27 Canadian Universities and 5 Federal Departments are studying the consequences of change on the societies and ecosystems of the coastal Canadian High Arctic, of the Eastern Arctic and of Hudson Bay. This research will provide the knowledge needed to aid decision makers in the development of policies and strategies for adapting to a rapidly changing Canadian Arctic.
Mulroney's environmental accomplishments include:
- Acid Rain Accord with the United States
- ratification of the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer
- placing Environment Minister on top cabinet committee of planning and priorities
- appointing strong ministers to Environment portfolio and giving them authority (Bouchard and Charest)
- first industrialized country to ratify both the biodiversity convention and the climate change convention agreed to at the UN Conference on the Environment
- significant new national parks (Bruce, South Moresby and Grasslands)
- Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and Canadian Environmental Protection Act
- strengthening enforcement of environmental regulations
- Raise the River Action Plan - The Clean-Up of the St. Lawrence River
- Great Lakes Action Plan
- Atlantic Coast Action Plan
- Partners in Sustainable Development of Forests Programs
- Arctic Strategy
- signing and ratifying of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)
- Sustainable Agriculture Initiative
- funding to improve water and sewage services on all reserves
- Green Plan that committed the government to specific environmental targets
- National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy
- International Institute for Sustainable Development
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