Ontario and California collaborate on cancer research, sign climate change accord

Toronto, ON – Ontario’s premier, Dalton McGuinty, says that the governments of Ontario and California are joining forces to fight cancer and climate change.

Premier McGuinty and California’s Governor Schwarzenegger met at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, where they agreed to back promising new stem cell research that will help uncover new therapies for cancer.

The Ontario government is providing $30 million to support a new Cancer Stem Cell Consortium, which will be headquartered at the MaRS centre. Working with colleagues in California, scientists in Ontario will investigate new therapies for cancer based on stem cell research. The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research will oversee the collaboration efforts.

“These initiatives unite some of the best scientists in the world and it shows what we can do when we work together to solve big problems,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I also want to offer my deepest gratitude to the scientists and doctors in California and Canada who are using our resources to find new therapies and cures.”

Earlier, the two had met at the Ontario legislature, where they signed a memorandum of understanding on climate change.

Under the accord, Ontario and California are partnering to fight global warming by coordinating policies on fuel standards. Ontario will require producers to reduce carbon emissions from transportation fuels by 10% by 2020 – the equivalent of removing 700,000 cars from the roads.

Other highlights of the cross-border accord include:

– Collaborating on energy efficiency programs;
– Coordinating efforts to switch to clean energy technologies, promote green buildings and increase efficiency;
– Working together on national, North American and international emissions trading; and
– Exploring market-based mechanisms such as expanding the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative to encourage an effective carbon market.