Evidence of meeting #138 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was fuels.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Thank you. I see I've run out of time. I will just add that I was pleased to hear that you had 30% of the solution rather than 10% of the time. I find that inspiring. It is possible to be even more environmentally responsible. Thank you.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, folks, very much for being here.
I want to go to Mr. Hooper, if I could. I'm fascinated by the advanced biofuels and the potential behind some of the things in your opening remarks.
You talked about the 20-million tonne reduction. I'm interested in whether you could roll out what you envision as a time frame for this becoming mainstream.
4:40 p.m.
Director, Policy and Regulations, Advanced Biofuels Canada
The first step is the clean fuel standard, which, under its current development process, will implement a regulation on liquid fuels in 2022, and set a requirement to go out to 2030 to reduce the carbon intensity of the fuels used. In a regulatory design paper, which will be released before Christmas, the government will identify what percentage of that 30-million tonne total target is allocated to liquid fuels. The remainder will be to gaseous and solid fuels, and those regulations are to be implemented in 2023, a year later. That's the timeline for the build-out.
In terms of the timeline of the commercialization, or the production of these fuels in Canada, we already have, as I mentioned, an installed base. Most projects take about three to five years to permit, finance, construct and then commission. Most of the fuels in our capital project survey are likely to be moved into the market by 2025, so they will be available to be utilized within that regulatory timeline.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
4:45 p.m.
Director, Policy and Regulations, Advanced Biofuels Canada
That's 2030, and that's per year in 2030.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Wow.
I guess I'm asking you an editorial question. With a price on pollution, plus an investment in innovation, plus advanced biofuels, we will hit our Paris targets quite easily.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Thank you.
Kristin, at the beginning of your testimony you had so much to say. You spoke so quickly that I would start to write something down, but then you'd be on to something else.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Stakeholder Relations, Agricultural Institute of Canada
I do apologize.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I got development and use of new products, revolutionize, cultivate, grow cleaner, better use of waste, connectivity, innovation, new technologies, more nutrients, greater yields—all of the great things that I wanted to hear you say. Then you slowed down and you talked about sponging, horticulture and waste utilization.
I want to know if you could extrapolate a bit on sponging because I don't know what that is, and maybe a little on some of the great buzzwords that you used there. You're speaking to all of the members here, who find that fascinating. You lost me a little bit there, until you came to sponging, horticulture and waste utilization.
I came from the municipal side. We talked about waste to energy, but everybody had a different type of waste to energy. Everybody liked to argue about which one was the best technology. Do you find that's the case in some of these things that you're talking about?
4:45 p.m.
Director, Stakeholder Relations, Agricultural Institute of Canada
Certainly. I think that's one of the struggles of being an industry association. There is that conflict between the researchers and the stakeholders that we represent.
I'm doing it again. I'm speaking very quickly again. I do apologize.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I have only five minutes, so go ahead. You can talk fast.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Stakeholder Relations, Agricultural Institute of Canada
In terms of carbon dioxide sponging, we had heard from some of the stakeholders we represent who compared it to the system that's currently in place in the Netherlands, where they feed the carbon dioxide generated in urban communities to agricultural carbon sinks, agricultural fields, as well as into their greenhouse sector. As we know, the greenhouse sector is growing, even in Canada. I think it's now worth $2.5 billion, or something like that. There are some great examples of greenhouse innovation, even here in the Niagara region. That was cited as a place Canada could look to in order to solve some of the carbon problems it's having.
Does that answer your question, or did I speak too quickly again?
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
It does. No, that was great.
The new sources of energy.... You said, with regard to further action by government, that you acknowledge that the government is doing a lot, but that there needs to be further action by the government. Then I didn't get much more than new sources of energy and waste to energy.
4:45 p.m.
Director, Stakeholder Relations, Agricultural Institute of Canada
Let me take a step back for a second.
If we're looking at this sector, there's an opportunity to seize our opportunity versus becoming a victim of the challenges associated with it. If we can make the opportunities grow and the challenges sink, and bridge the gap between them, then I think we're going to be out far ahead. I think there are opportunities for our government to support things both on the research side and on the early adoption side to feed it through the value chain.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Darren Fisher Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I'm totally in sync with what you're saying.
What's the greatest challenge and greatest opportunity?
4:45 p.m.
Director, Stakeholder Relations, Agricultural Institute of Canada
That's a hard one.
Climate change is both of them, to be honest. Then as a result, it's carbon pricing. It's a challenge. It's an opportunity. Let's bridge the gap.
4:45 p.m.
Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale—Langley City, Lib.)
I'm going to jump over to Monsieur Godin.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will be sharing my time with my colleague, Mr. Warawa. Could you let me know when I get to three minutes, please?
My questions are for the witness I didn't have the opportunity to address earlier.
Mr. Hooper, to what extent can biofuels significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Could you tell me what impact your industry could have?
4:45 p.m.
Director, Policy and Regulations, Advanced Biofuels Canada
Sorry, could you clarify for me if it is the value of biofuels on industrial emissions? I didn't catch the context for the question.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
What impact could the biofuel industry have on reducing greenhouse gases in the coming years? Would this be a major or minor impact? Is this an important action with results that would make your industry stand out?