2014
Public Sector
Sara Jane Snook headshot
Clean50 Award Logo

Sara Jane Snook

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia’s department of Environment created North America's first hard cap on GHG emissions in the electricity sector, an initiative led by Minister Sterling Belliveau, Deputy Minister Sara Jane Snook and the climate change team. The regulation will reduce carbon emissions from this sector by 25%. This is significant because the electricity sector is responsible for more than 46% of all GHG emissions in the province. The regulation was recently amended to also require a further 55% reduction by 2030.  These initiatives will enable the transformation of the energy system in Nova Scotia from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. In late 2012, the government passed the Green Economy Act, which recognizes the integration between the economy and the environment, and contains 25 specific environmental objectives.