New appointments to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

    OTTAWA, July 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the
Environment, announced today the appointment of Wishart Robson to the National
Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE). His appointment is
effective immediately.
    "Mr. Robson's knowledge and expertise will contribute greatly to the work
of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy," said Minister
Baird. "Our Government's balanced approach builds on the same foundation of
NRTEE of encouraging innovation to protect the environment, while ensuring
that our economy continues to grow and prosper."
    NRTEE is dedicated to exploring new opportunities to integrate
environmental conservation and economic development in order to sustain
Canada's prosperity and secure its future. Its mandate has recently been
enhanced to provide advice to Canada's New Government on Turning the Corner:
An Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution.
    NRTEE was created in October 1988 by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
and its independent role and mandate were enshrined in the National Round
Table on the Environment and Economy Act. Its members are drawn from
distinguished leaders in business and labour, universities, environmental
organizations, Aboriginal communities and municipalities.

    Biographical note is attached.


    (Egalement offert en français)


    Wishart Robson
    --------------

    12 Cromwell Avenue NW
    Calgary, AB
    T2L 0M5

    Wishart Robson is currently Climate Change Advisor to the CEO and
President of Nexen Inc. where he is responsible for providing strategic
analysis and advice to the Board and Senior Executives and preparing the
company for a future carbon economy.
    Mr. Robson began working for the Fisheries Research Board of Canada in
1970 and subsequently worked for various federal agencies for 11 years. He
participated in studies in a diversity of ecosystems areas: mercury
contamination, eutrophication, aquaculture and later, resource management and
the regulation of extractive industries. Mr. Robson has also spent the past 25
years working in the oil and gas sector, both in Canada and in 25
international locations. His dossiers included a range of exploration,
development and transportation projects in Nigeria, Australia, the UK sector
of the North Sea as well as Hibernia and Terra Nova off the coast of
Newfoundland. Among his files were emergency response management and fate and
effects of marine spills. He is currently on the Board of Oil Spill Response
Limited (OSRL) of Southampton, England.
    Mr. Robson joined Nexen Inc. in 1997 where he has been able to devote
more of his professional and personal attention to the climate change/global
warming file. He currently represents Nexen on several national and
international industry associations, the International Emissions Trading
Association and ICO2N, the Integrated CO2 Network, which is a Canadian
initiative investigating the options available to industry and government in
the area of carbon capture and storage. Mr. Robson has attended many meetings
of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
representing industry on the Canadian delegation at CoP 8 in Delhi.

For further information: Eric Richer, Press Secretary, Office of the
Minister of the Environment, (819) 997-1441; Environment Canada Media
Relations: (819) 934-8008, 1-888-908-8008