Key promises in Thursday's asbestos ban announcement

• Full asbestos ban, changed federal building codes, regulations, coming today

Here are some of the key commitments of the announcement:

• Several departments will work together to fulfil the commitment to ban asbestos by 2018.
• The government will create new regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
• New workplace health and safety rules are expected to drastically limit the risk of people coming into contact with asbestos on the job.
• New actions will be put in place to ban the import of asbestos-containing products such as certain construction materials and brake pads.
• The current online list of asbestos-containing buildings owned or leased by Public Services and Procurement Canadawill be expanded to include all federal buildings that have the substance.
• National building codes will be changed to prohibit the use of asbestos in new construction and renovation projects across Canada.
• Canada's position on the listing of asbestos as a hazardous material will be reviewed ahead of next year's meeting of the Rotterdam Convention (an international treaty of more than 150 countries that support listing asbestos as a hazard).
• Canada will also commit to raising the awareness of the health impacts of asbestos to help prevent the spread of lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.

More on this story:

• Canada-wide asbestos inventory 'a positive step,' say health and safety advocates
• CBC's interactive map of buildings with asbestos