Prime Minister appoints International Trade Minister to coordinate Sustainable Cities Initiative

"Rapid urbanization in developing countries is a challenge and opportunity that Canada should not ignore," said the Prime Minister. "I agree with the Round Table that governments should offer their support to Canadian industry to help them take advantage of these opportunities which improve both the global and local environment and also benefit the Canadian economy."

International Trade Minister Sergio Marchi welcomes the report that calls for a more integrated approach by the Government of Canada and Canadian business to respond to the growing pressures faced by cities in a rapidly-urbanizing world. "The problems facing the environment are largely the problems of cities. These problems are expected to increase with the projected growth in urban populations over the coming decades," said Minister Marchi. "Water and air pollution, severe traffic congestion and the lack of clean energy supplies are all placing additional strains on the infrastructure of many of the world's cities and the people who live in them."

The Sustainable Cities Initiative, is a product of more than a year of consultations and research by the NRTEE. The report describes how Canadian companies, municipalities and non-governmental organizations can work together to build better urban environments abroad by drawing upon the expertise and commercial capabilities of Canadians. As part of the Round Table's intensive work on this, a series of workshops were held in January 1998 that included many of Canada's major suppliers of urban infrastructure, engineering services, non-profit organizations, World Bank officials, academics, and municipal representatives.

Further consultations continued throughout the year, with the support of a number of government departments, including the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Industry Canada, Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada, and the Export Development Corporation (EDC).

As a first step in meeting the challenge of the Sustainable Cities Initiative, Industry Canada's Environmental Industries Branch, will pull together interested companies, departments and non-governmental organizations to study the possibility of developing pilot projects with selected target cities in each of East-Central Europe, South America and Asia. These projects would create a "city team" that would bring together a broad range of experts in urban development, such as transportation systems, waste management, energy, and urban design. Parties interested in participating in the pilot projects are invited to contact Bruce Thomson, Environmental Affairs Branch, Industry Canada, at (613) 954-2938.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Leslie Swartman
Office of the Minister for International Trade
(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555