Canadian Automakers Agree to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

April 13, 2005

The Canadian government announced on April 5th that it has reached an agreement with the Canadian automobile industry to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new light vehicles, which include cars, pickups, vans, and most sport utility vehicles. By 2010, the new agreement will avoid the equivalent of 5.3 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions from Canadian vehicles, compared to a business-as-usual scenario. To achieve the objective, the Canadian automobile industry will offer and promote a wide variety of fuel-saving vehicle technologies, including hybrid powertrains, cylinder deactivation technology, advanced diesel technologies, and emerging technologies. The industry will continue to pursue design and engineering improvements without compromising vehicle-occupant safety, while also encouraging the use of alternative fuels and bringing forward technologies that promote more fuel-efficient driving behavior. See the press releases from Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding and backgrounders on the Canadian auto industry (PDF 114 KB) and emission reduction technologies (PDF 124 KB) from the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada. Download Acrobat Reader.