Environment Committee on Nov. 20th, 2018

[Mike Lake]

For the Environmental Assessment Agency folks, maybe you could speak to transparency in other countries, comparisons that have been made with Canada, with specifically those nine other countries in terms of transparency.

I know that we have a regulatory process right now. We're putting forward Bill C-69, which has a significant impact and has raised a lot of concern in the industry in Canada. The biggest concern that I'm hearing is that other countries that we compete with are not subject to the same requirements.

Maybe you could speak to your understanding of levels of transparency in Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Nigeria, Angola and Kazakhstan.

[Christine Loth-Bown]

I'm not in a position to speak for those countries. I am in a position to speak for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the priority that we place on transparency for environmental assessment processes.

[Mike Lake]

As we pursue an impact on the global level of emissions under the Paris Agreement and the mechanisms available to us, would it be safe to say that Canada probably has standards above and beyond each of those nine countries that are measured in terms of implementing technology to reduce emissions?

[Matt Jones]

In terms of transparency when it comes to other countries and specifically with respect to the Paris commitment, all countries report to the United Nations through their national communications and their inventories on their greenhouse gas policies. Those policies and those reports are available online. I have not personally gone through Nigeria's, Iran's or Saudi Arabia's policies specifically on the oil and gas sector.

[Mike Lake]

Is the comparative level of emissions even taken into account when assessing Canada's strategy in reducing the global level of greenhouse gas emissions? For example, we have $54 billion in export dollars that we bring in through exporting oil. If we're able to maintain that or even grow that by maybe building a pipeline or two to help increase those exports, the level at which those dollars can be invested in green technology, relative to what other—so it's an opportunity cost question—countries might do with that same amount of money, and the subsequent impact on greenhouse gas emissions...?

[Matt Jones]

That's a complicated question that we could talk about for a long time potentially, and I don't think we have looked at our environmental policies being tied explicitly to export revenues from one sector. Certainly revenues are the revenues of the government, but the government has taken a balanced approach where they're looking to grow the economy, of course, and reduce our emissions intensity within the country.

[Mike Lake]

Thank you.

[The Chair]

Mr. Amos, we should be able to get through your six minutes, and then I need to leave a couple of minutes to go through motions related to this.

We'll see where we are after Mr. Amos's six minutes, and that may be as far as we get with this.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses, once again disrupting your busy days to come and speak with us.

I'm interested in some of the investments being made around Parks Canada. There were some investments, particularly in the Bruce Peninsula. There was a significant amount of money there. Could that be addressed?

[Carol Najm]

Unfortunately, we don't have representatives from Parks Canada here today. They're going to join you next week.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Okay. I'll press pause on that, but just point to our interest there.

To what extent can you speak to—I'm not sure if I'm using the right phrase—the “catch-up” effect? Environment Canada went through a period of significant austerity. There were cutbacks over a series of years in science, impact assessment and a number of aspects. To what extent is what we're seeing here the rebuilding of different aspects of the department?

[Carol Najm]

That is a great question.

It is about the department today compared with what the department was a few years ago. We have developed a new departmental results framework that we have restructured—our core responsibilities and commitments to everyone. That has been the baseline with which we are seeking funding, moving forward. This new results framework clearly highlights the climate action, climate change and clean growth priority of the government, not just of the department. It also establishes the renewed commitments on conservation, and also on the weather and monitoring. I don't have the details with me, in terms of the numbers, to speak to what has changed within the department, but I know that today the department has investments in those key responsibilities in terms of outcomes for Canadians.

[Alan Kerr]

Could I just expand on Carol's comments?

For the Environmental Assessment Agency, the funding proposed to be provided to the agency under supplementary estimates is really to help build the agency to prepare for the expanded mandate under Bill C-69, which will allow us to be prepared for a broader early planning, improved co-operation with other jurisdictions and greater public participation and work with indigenous communities. It is really more about building for the future than any sort of catch-up.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Okay. That's helpful.

I'd like to follow along the line of the agency here. How many new hires do you expect will have to be made in the coming 24 months to build the agency to the level it needs to be to properly implement BillC-69?

[Alan Kerr]

The agency will bring in about 100 full-time equivalents in this fiscal year. That will grow by approximately 100 more in the next fiscal year. We'll see the growth of the agency by about 200 employees, which would bring us to an overall agency strength of about 450 employees.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Could you give me a geographic breakdown of where they'll be situated?

[Alan Kerr]

Sure.

We are quite a small agency, so most of our workforce is centred here in the nation's capital, but we do have regional offices. We have regional offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, Quebec City and Halifax, and we recently opened a satellite regional office of the Atlantic office, in St. John's, Newfoundland, to help us with the regional environmental assessment that we're embarking on there. We have just over one-third of our employees in regional offices across the country.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

We're talking about serious new opportunities for individuals interested in aspects of environmental assessment, with in excess of 100 new jobs in the national capital region.

[Alan Kerr]

Yes. That's correct.

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

That's great news for a number of young Canadians who are very interested in this topic. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to join the assessment agency, so I do look forward to the passage of Bill C-69.

Perhaps one of my colleagues has something to ask in my last minute.

The time is over to you.

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

This is with regard to the $5.5 million to support the G7 ocean plastics charter. Certainly that's the buzzword right now. It's very important to the people in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. Can you tell me what specifically the Department of Environment will be doing with that $5.5 million to take action on plastic pollution?

[Carol Najm]

Again, this is money we're seeking to fulfill our commitments following the G7 ocean plastics charter. It's more for international work. The Netherlands launched the Global Commission on Adaptation along with the convening countries and commission members, and they are requesting participation from countries. The key deliverables will include preparation of the flagship report on adaptation and leading global institutions on the delivery of the UN climate summit in September 2019. The financial contribution from Canada will support the commission's work in the deliverables contributing to international efforts to galvanize further action on adaptation as well as showcase and enhance Canada's leadership on climate change adaptation at a global scale.

With respect to the G7 plastics charter, the funding will be used to support agreements that advance science and research on plastics, plastics waste and pollution. The funding will also be used to promote outreach, education and engagement as well as to organize and deliver consultations across the country.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair]

We're out of time.

Thank you to the officials for your comments and for being available to us.

There was a question asked, and I just want to confirm something. The opposition had requested that the minister come here. We went to the minister's office to see what her availability was. We were told she was not available this week.

There's this whole formula about when we have to report back on supplementary estimates (A). With next Tuesday, that may be the end of the window. She's not available next Tuesday either, so I made the decision to proceed with the departmental officials. They're excellent resources to have for this. That's why we heard from the officials today.

The intention now is to move to the vote on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Department of the Environment pieces.

[Mike Lake]

I have a point of order.