Environment Committee on Oct. 16th, 2018

[Catherine Stewart]

This is to flag for you something called the Talanoa dialogue, which the Fijian presidency of COP last year introduced.

This has been a year-long process whereby countries, non-parties, actors, or anybody can come forward and share experiences on what they're doing on climate action. The UNFCCC has a portal where people have put in submissions to emphasize what they're doing on climate action.

I want to emphasize that it's not just the major economies that are doing a lot here. Small island developing states, businesses, and indigenous peoples are doing a lot on climate change. The Talanoa dialogue is an opportunity to share those stories.

I just wanted to flag that.

[Wayne Stetski]

Could you just spell that for us? Is it actually—?

[Catherine Stewart]

Yes. It's a good word. It's a Fijian word that we all learned this year in the negotiations. It's spelled “Talanoa”, and it means “sharing stories”.

[Wayne Stetski]

Thank you.

[Isabelle Bérard]

Can I just add something?

I know we're not supposed to brag about Canada, but I want to say something about gender equality and women.

[Joe Peschisolido, Steveston—Richmond East, Lib.]

Brag about Canada.

[Isabelle Bérard]

Mr. Stetski suggested that we speak to other countries, but we do have a lot of experience on that front, and we are quite advanced in terms of our reflection and what we're doing in that area. We are seen as leaders on that front.

[The Chair]

There will be other opportunities in the questions to brag more about what Canada is doing.

With that, we'll turn it over to Mr. Fisher. He's always good for a brag, especially an east coast brag.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for that.

Thank you, folks, for being here. I recognize your faces; it seems like you're here every second week.

Developing countries are feeling climate change much more than others. There's so much climate financing available, both private and public, to fund this clean technology effort. Hopefully we're seeing it as a tremendous opportunity. We've always seen climate change and environmental issues as a major issue, but we're really only starting to see the massive opportunities that it brings.

There has been 61 billion U.S. dollars in just the last four years for climate financing, and it's going to grow measurably with international obligations and commitments that are already on the table.

I think about Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, my riding in Nova Scotia, and I think about the burgeoning and flourishing clean-tech boom that's happening within the Burnside industrial park and the Woodside industrial park.

Are Canadian companies specifically benefiting from global climate financing opportunities? How might they benefit from our commitment to increased clean tech in developing countries, if they would?

[Isabelle Bérard]

Do you want to take that on?

[Anar Mamdani]

Sure. I'm happy to answer.

What I can tell you is that the financing we have provided to many of the multilateral development banks includes funds for the private sector. In the case of the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Investment Corporation and the Asian Development Bank, Canadian companies can access these funds. In order to facilitate that, cross-Canada road shows are being organized to raise awareness among Canadian private sector companies about the opportunities available through these funds.

These road shows also offer an opportunity to raise awareness among the multilateral development banks about the capabilities and expertise of Canadian private sector companies in the renewable energy sector and others. For example, in early 2018 a road show was organized to promote Canada's fund with the Asian Development Bank to Canadian companies and help Canadian clean technology and renewable energy companies bring their cutting-edge solutions to Asia.

I would also note that in addition to that, Global Affairs Canada's trade commissioner service is investing in new resources for climate finance. Canadian firms and individuals can now access regionally focused trade commissioners in Washington, D.C.; London; Manila; and Abidjan to assist them in accessing business opportunities generated by climate finance.

These trade commissioners can assist and support Canadian firms in navigating procurement processes and private sector lending windows as well.

[Isabelle Bérard]

If I might add to what Anar has said, if companies want to go to the trade commissioner service—there's a website for this—there is a climate fund inventory database which contains more than 90 different climate funds. Companies can have access to what is being posted there by various funds.

I'm happy to provide the link, if you'd like.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

With all that, and just to paraphrase and drill this down to a sentence or two, companies in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour will benefit from investments in clean tech within Canada. Will companies in Nova Scotia benefit from our investment and other international investment in other developing countries' clean-tech sectors?

[Anar Mamdani]

I think the point is that they could benefit—

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

They could.

[Anar Mamdani]

—and we are putting in place with our trade commissioners efforts to facilitate that, but it does require that they have to access it.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Got it.

Matt, would you comment?

[Matt Jones]

I have just one minor thing to add: there's also the Clean Growth Hub that I think we've talked to this committee about. Companies specifically told us that because there were so many different programs and initiatives and funds, both domestically and internationally, it would be great if there was a service that could help them navigate all of those things. There is an organization run by both ISED and NRCan that the Department of Global Affairs and our trade commission is linked into that also helps shepherd Canadian companies to the right funds and the right supports and services.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

They're like a liaison, a connector.

Carbon leakage is a concern for any country that's taking reducing emissions seriously. I think we can remain competitive as a country while encouraging companies in Canada to reduce their emissions at the same time.

In the USMCA, we've negotiated the enforceable environmental chapter. A lot of people aren't talking about that. I don't think anybody realizes just how important that is. It's going to protect Canadian businesses and make sure that our trading partners can't gain an unfair advantage by not enforcing environmental laws. I want to stress that because it's not something I've seen in the press at all, and I think it's pretty important.

What other tools does Canada have in our tool chest to mitigate carbon leakage concerns?

[Matt Jones]

I'll cover the front end, and then others can add on the international initiatives and the various trade agreements and the provisions in them. Our view at Environment Canada, speaking on behalf of my colleagues in our regulatory branch, is that the best way to avoid carbon leakage is to design smart policies and to do the analysis necessary to ensure that we understand the competitiveness positions of Canadian companies. We're designing policies that allow for emission reductions to be achieved without impinging on the competitiveness of those companies.

[The Chair]

We'll go over to Mr. Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Langley—Aldergrove, CPC]

Thank you, Chair. Thank you, witnesses.

I appreciate the testimony that we've heard so far. Of course, climate change is a major issue when we're dealing with pollution. One of my huge concerns is plastic pollution in our oceans. That is regularly discussed, but I think Leona brought up the very important issue of pollution and pollutants going into the air. Canadians are getting sick, or in some cases losing their lives, because of pollutants that are in the air we're breathing.

In the case of Volkswagen, the United States was on top of this. It was a $14.7 billion fine in the U.S., and it appears so far that Environment Canada has not enforced it, and that's a big concern.

Isabelle, you mentioned that there are people within the department, enforcement people, who would be very willing to come here. In international leadership, which is what this study is about, it appears to some that Canada may have dropped the ball on this, so your offer to have somebody come here, I think, was very appreciated. I'd like to read that notice of motion and then go back to questions for the witnesses.

The notice of motion is

That the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development undertake a study of no less than two meetings on the deceptive emissions tests from the auto manufacturer Volkswagen and call on Volkswagen officials to testify as well as officials from Environment Canada and any other government department the committee sees fit to invite and that the committee make recommendations to the government.

This is the notice of motion that I will pass to the clerk.

Ms. Stewart, I find your testimony interesting. Are we going to meet our Paris targets? We have just over a year.

[Catherine Stewart]

I can speak to the Paris rule book, and what we're doing under the Paris rule book.

I would defer to my domestic colleague to talk about our targets and what we're doing domestically.

[Mark Warawa]

The reason I'm asking you is that you mentioned that Canada is open and transparent in the negotiations with our international partners. Are you involved with that—in that open, transparent dialogue with international partners—or would that be Mr. Jones?

[Catherine Stewart]

The reporting that we do and provide to the UNFCCC is prepared by Matt Jones and his group. We work on that together; we provide input into that. I will let him speak to it.