Energy Plan - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

POLICY
ACTIONS
A Culture of Conservation
The Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador will:
• Continue to support the
Climate Change Education
Centre as a way to provide
effective public education
on energy conservation and
efficiency opportunities.
• Establish and implement
a comprehensive energy
efficiency and conservation
marketing strategy.
• Support programs that
focus on engaging young
people through outreach
and education through an
innovative annual $200,000
education fund.
• Continue updating and
expanding the environmental
science component in the K
to 12 curriculum.
• Continue to support our
initiatives outlined in the
Council of the Federation’s
“Climate Change: Leading
Practices by Provinces and
Territories in Canada,” and
considers implementation
of best practices from other
jurisdictions in the country.
A Culture of Conservation
Improving our energy efficiency, eliminating energy waste and reducing
consumption requires the participation of all people and businesses in the
province in their daily lives. Such a permanent change in the way we consume and
conserve energy requires a shift to an energy-conservation culture. Education
is a fundamental component of this shift in attitude.
The Provincial Government will encourage this change through continued
support of the Climate Change Education Centre outlined in our Climate Change
Action Plan. The Centre’s vision is to dramatically increase knowledge and
understanding of climate change and to be the catalyst for actions necessary
to help address this issue by targeting schools, youth organizations, educators,
non-governmental organizations, industry, and the general public. We intend to
bring the climate change message to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador
through a province wide information and education campaign.
Our young people are the future of our province and are keys to any initiative to
foster sustainable change. Because of this, we have initiated revisions to the
environmental science component of the K to 12 curriculums that will include
outcomes related to climate change, energy conservation and efficiency and
sustainable development. The Provincial Government will provide $200,000
towards innovative programs and organizations that engage young people in
energy-conservation and climate change and their relationship to sustainable
development.
In 2007, the Council of the Federation released Climate Change: Leading
Practices by Provinces and Territories in Canada, which identifies several best
practices by Newfoundland and Labrador in the area of citizen involvement.
These include funding provided for non-governmental organizations’ outreach
programs such as the Newfoundland and Labrador Climate Change Education
Centre and Ocean Net, an exhibit and scientific discussion panel at The Rooms
museum, a government employee awareness program, and the incorporation
of climate change and sustainable development issues into the high school
science curriculum. The Provincial Government will continue to support these
initiatives.
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