Evidence of meeting #6 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was money.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Carol Najm  Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services and Finance Branch, Department of the Environment
Christine Hogan  Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment
Matt Jones  Assistant Deputy Minister, Pan-Canadian Framework Implementation Office, Department of the Environment
Niall O'Dea  Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment
John Moffet  Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Annie Boyer  Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Resources Management Branch, Parks Canada Agency
Darlene Upton  Vice-President, Protected Areas Establishment and Conservation, Parks Canada Agency
Terence Hubbard  Vice-President, Operations Sector, Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
Nancy Hamzawi  Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Technology Branch, Department of the Environment
Diane Campbell  Assistant Deputy Minister, Meteorological Service of Canada, Department of the Environment
Michael Nadler  Vice-President, External Relations and Visitor Experience, Parks Canada Agency

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK

Maybe there's another way to ask this. Are there climate action incentive returns in other budgets or is it all in your budget?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

With respect to that, maybe I'll ask the CFO, but the focus of the climate action incentive is with Environment Canada.

9:35 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services and Finance Branch, Department of the Environment

Carol Najm

That's correct, Minister.

The amount showing in our estimates is what comes to Environment and Climate Change Canada. We partner with Finance Canada on this program, and the balance of the revenues would be provided through Finance Canada.

9:35 a.m.

Conservative

Brad Redekopp Conservative Saskatoon West, SK

Okay. I have a different question.

The last numbers that I've seen for greenhouse gas emissions are for 2017. Are there further numbers that have been published for actual greenhouse gas emissions?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Typically, the projections lag because of the way in which research data is collected, so there are no more updated numbers than what we published a few months ago, but I would say to look at the pan-Canadian framework and the reductions that are baked into the initiatives that will be achieved by 2030.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Thank you very much.

We will go to Mr. Longfield for five minutes.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

Thank you, Madam Chair.

In my riding in Guelph, many individuals and businesses have benefited from the energy savings rebate program through the low-carbon economy fund when they're shopping at local businesses such as Shuh's Appliance Centre in Guelph, a small business that's been family run for a couple of generations and is now able to pass savings through to consumers who are looking for savings on their Energy Star appliances.

Could you share with the committee how this program directly benefits individuals, businesses and municipalities and how it's being used to both stimulate the economy and protect the environment?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Thank you for that important question.

Our government has made a number of important investments in programs that help people and businesses reduce energy use, save money and address climate change, which I think everybody wants to do.

The energy savings rebate program in particular has helped Ontario families and businesses take climate action by making energy-efficient products such as EV chargers, dishwashers and a range of appliances more affordable. I understand that this program has received a lot of interest, and my department is working very expeditiously to process all of the claims we have received.

Through these kinds of investments, our government is helping to incent Ontarians and Canadians to take climate action in an affordable and very much accessible way.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

Thank you, Minister.

Also, in the supplementary estimates there's a grant program of $1,412,300 under the innovative solutions Canada fund. I'm looking at the innovation solutions Canada program playing an important role in our communities by supporting small and medium-sized businesses in developing innovative solutions to challenges across various areas addressing climate change.

You've recently announced that Environment and Climate Change Canada will be supporting the innovation solutions Canada program to address new plastic challenges. This has been mentioned a few times by a few members in more depth in some of the questions, but there's really a concern around plastics. Could you comment on how the collaboration is going to work and how we're going to be working on challenges together to meet our climate change goals?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Sure.

Clean tech certainly is part of the solution to closing the loop on plastics, just as it is in the climate area.

It's certainly an area of interest for me. I was a clean-tech CEO and a senior executive for 15 years before I decided to enter politics.

Boosting clean technology to address plastic pollution is certainly part of our approach to moving to zero waste. We are supporting Canadian innovators and entrepreneurs through an investment of nearly $19 million in the Canadian plastics innovation challenge, which results in real Canadian-made solutions.

I have a couple of examples. Axipolymer, based in Montreal, will create a recyclable multi-layered film that can be used for food packaging. GreenMantra Technologies, in Brantford, Ontario, will transform polystyrene insulation waste into new insulation.

By improving how we manage plastic waste, we can cut pollution, but we can also create thousands of jobs from new technology solutions that we Canadians are innovating and implementing.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

Thanks.

Finally, I'm looking at collaborations.

I was sitting on the agriculture committee. Agriculture is a huge topic for Guelph.

In the estimates we have vote 10b, $250,000, looking at some collaborations between Environment and Climate Change and Agriculture. I'm looking at the approach we're taking. Sometimes it's a farming issue. Sometimes it's a climate change issue. Many times it's both at the same time. Of particular importance to me is this. Is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food working with you, through the supplementary estimates, to address climate change and greening growth on the farm and within our communities?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Certainly Canada's ag sector has an important role to play in the fight against climate change. Through initiatives like the Economics and Environmental Policy Research Network, our government is supporting research into policies and programs that accelerate sustainable practices, the adoption of technology and clean innovation in agricultural practices in the agri-food sector.

As you know, through programs like the agricultural greenhouse gases program, we are supporting researchers at the University of Guelph in various projects that will help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. We are also, as I said before, extremely interested in how we can utilize soils going forward as a carbon sink to help with sequestration and to allow us to take more carbon out of the atmosphere. By working across government and with the agricultural community, we can help to ensure that we are identifying and implementing solutions that will allow the agricultural sector to lead in these important areas.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

You mentioned that the University of Guelph is also working on riparian zones and planting trees around streams to filter water coming off the fields as well as being a carbon sink through the growth cycle of the trees. Is this an example that we can share with other countries and the provinces and territories?

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Absolutely. These issues around the riparian areas are extremely important. I was minister of fisheries and oceans. When you look at some of the data around the increased sediment in the rivers and the streams that is a result of the destruction of some of these riparian areas, that has a direct implication on the productivity of salmon spawning. So absolutely, those are critical issues for us.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Thank you.

Madam Pauzé, you have two and a half minutes.

9:40 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Stay within the estimates so that nobody rises on a point of order.

9:40 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC

I'm going to talk about the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. As we all know, numerous recommendations were made during the last Parliament. Is there any money in the estimates for monitoring associated with the public environmental protection mechanism? Should we see funding for that?

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

Yes, of course.

Money has been earmarked for that. We will continue to assure Canadians that we have the resources necessary to examine the various aspects of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. I'd also like to say that we pledged to consider possible amendments and we intend to discuss the legislation with members of Parliament, perhaps in the fall.

Money has been set aside for legislative amendments, which Ms. Hogan, the deputy minister, can tell you more about.

9:40 a.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of the Environment

Christine Hogan

I'll keep my comments brief.

We are talking about the supplementary estimates today, which pertain to resource changes and additions.

The financing for our operations is not captured in the supplementary estimates, but there is obviously a very significant portion of our departmental resources that go into ensuring the effective implementation of CEPA and all associated programs. It's a major part of the department's efforts.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

Thank you, Ms. Pauzé.

Ms. Collins, you have two and a half minutes.

9:40 a.m.

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

I will go back to the question that I was asking. The question is about whether we're on track to meet and exceed our commitments to reduce our emissions by 30% by 2030 and whether or not the next report from the next environment commissioner is going to say the same thing, that the government, like the ones before it, is failing to take the urgent and necessary action to meet our targets to adapt to climate change. In other words, it is failing to take the action that needs to be taken in order to ensure a liveable planet, because that's what's at stake right now.

In one of the other responses, you mentioned there are items baked into the pan-Canadian framework on climate change. Do you think the initiatives that are funded here in these estimates, specifically the ones that support additional actions through the pan-Canadian framework, are enough to close that gap and put us back on track to meeting our targets?

9:45 a.m.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC

It's a very important question.

When this government was elected in 2015, there was virtually nothing being done with respect to climate change. Through the work on the pan-Canadian framework, which involved the provinces and territories, we identified 227 megatonnes in reductions. Those initiatives, which are in the pan-Canadian framework and on the Internet, get us a good chunk of the way to our target, but they don't get us all the way there.

There remain 77 megatonnes that we need to find to meet, and during the campaign, we promised to exceed that target, and that is part of the work that we are doing right now. Some of the measures that were in our campaign platform around trees, wetlands and building efficiency will help with that gap, but we certainly intend to bring forward a fully detailed plan as to how we will meet and exceed our 2030 targets.

9:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi

You have 30 seconds, Madam Collins.

9:45 a.m.

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

You talk about that 70-megatonne gap, and you also mentioned in your previous comment to me that you don't think that the Trans Mountain expansion project will impact our ability to meet our climate targets. Given that we are not on track and given that the most recent report from the new environment commissioner says that there's no—