The Nunavut government plans to introduce legislation banning the sale and purchase of traditional incandescent light bulbs, in the hopes of becoming the first Canadian jurisdiction to do so.

Energy Minister Ed Picco said the legislation will be introduced when the legislature next sits in May. If passed, the ban would be implemented over three years, replacing about 30,000 incandescent bulbs across the territory with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

"There is an opportunity for us to try to be on the leading edge, as it were, to reduce greenhouse gases through the elimination of incandescent bulbs, and we believe that we can do that," Picco said Wednesday.

All Nunavut government buildings, staff housing and public housing are already required to have compact fluorescent light bulbs installed by September.

Picco said the traditional bulbs are not energy efficient and do not produce a lot of light for the amount of power used. He estimates a move to compact fluorescent bulbs would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1,300 tonnes a year, as well as save government and the public some money.

"If you look at a house, that you eliminated all the incandescent bulbs for lighting of the house, you'd be looking at maybe 15 light bulbs," he said. "That would be tremendous savings for the government of Nunavut, as well as the homeowner, in reducing electricity costs."

Federal funding out there

Australia made news in February with its plans to ban incandescent light bulbs, which are common in many homes, businesses and public places, beginning in 2010. The government said it could cut 800,000 tonnes from Australia's current emissions levels by 2012.

Nova Scotia is also looking at a similar measure, but says such a ban could take four or five years to implement.

Picco proposed funding a ban with some of the $5 million Nunavut is receiving from the Canada EcoTrust Initiative, which federal Environment Minister John Baird announced on Monday.

Morag Carter, the director of the David Suzuki Foundation's climate change program, said Nunavut is leading the way in Canada with its proposed ban.

"It's fabulous that we're doing this kind of program and I really congratulate the Nunavut government for doing this," Carter said Wednesday from Vancouver.

She said her group would like to see even bigger efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and suggested the territories, provinces and Ottawa work together to develop a national strategy.