Environment Committee on March 12th, 2020

[Matt Jones]

We have a dedicated team in Environment Canada. There are two of relevance, one that does our national GHG inventory and another that does our modelling and projections into the future. I know they'd be happy to describe their models for you and how they operate.

I can tell you that the inventorying of GHG emissions is done according to the guidelines set by the UN body that all countries follow. Our projections of emissions, where they're coming from and so forth, are based on a generally global model similar to those used in the major G7 countries. We'd be happy to provide additional information on how the models operate.

[John Moffet]

I'll emphasize that the measurement and modelling address emissions and sequestration. Our reports are designed to account for sequestration, in other words, the amount of carbon, for example, that certain farming and forestry practices take out of the atmosphere.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Which department does the modelling?

[John Moffet]

Environment and Climate Change Canada does the modelling. We are supported with some data from other departments, but all of the modelling is done by the department. As my colleague emphasized, the actual modelling approach, particularly for farming impacts and forestry impacts, follows international protocols.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

I guess I have a question about other countries in the G7 and Canada. I always get concerned with that.

My riding is the size of Nova Scotia.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You know you have no time left, right?

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Oh.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

We're being very nice to you.

Somebody will carry on with that question. Perhaps Mr. Saini will.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Thank you very much for staying. We appreciate your being here. I have a couple of questions.

One is about basic research. A lot of times Canadians don't realize that the Government of Canada does research that creates either software or products, and those products or that software are sold or licensed to other private sector interests. How does that framework work?

I know there's a lot of research being done currently in terms of modelling in Environment Canada. How is that used to further our own domestic priorities, and how is that used internationally? Obviously, we have a responsibility to the world.

Can you explain to me how that works?

[Matt Jones]

I think I might defer to my colleague Nancy Hamzawi who's the head of our science and technology branch. I'm sure she will be very pleased to tell you about the world-class research that is happening at Environment Canada.

[Nancy Hamzawi, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Technology Branch, Department of the Environment]

Thank you, Matt, and thank you for the question.

At Environment and Climate Change Canada, we have, within my own branch, the science and technology branch, about 1,500 scientists. That complements scientists who are active in other parts of the department, like the meteorological service of Canada and the Canadian wildlife service that are focused on those particular program areas.

We have networks both domestically and internationally, and we will work with industry, with academic institutions in Canada and also internationally, so you will see us as part of technical working groups, including at the United Nations, where we are working on developing methodologies to be able to ensure that the best available knowledge in science informs our approaches to modelling in the various disciplines.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I'm going to ask you a philosophical question. This is part of my training as a pharmacist.

A lot of the commentary that has been made amongst certain people is that Canada has a very low emission footprint of 1.6%, yet people don't realize that we are one of the highest per capita emitters in the world. We're the 10th highest emitter in the world.

I'm reminded of our history as a country, the moral responsibility we had as a country. In 1921 we invented insulin. At that time we could have been criticized as a small country that did not have that many diabetics, but we felt a moral compunction in the world that, because of our talent—

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

On a point of order, Madam Chair, we were stopped over and over again by colleagues—

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I'm getting to the point.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

—for irrelevance.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

I'm getting to the point; I'm building up.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

He's building up the case.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

I'm fascinated to hear how you get this into estimates.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

This is science. It will be interesting. Just wait and listen.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

I could have given you the same answer.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Okay. Bring it to relevance.

[Raj Saini, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

My point is very simple. We have always been leaders in the world, even though we have a small country and a small footprint. Now we are faced with an existential crisis. What do you think is our role in the world as a country to solve the climate crisis, and what do we—

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Madam Chair, which line item does that relate to in the supplementaries?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

That's true. It doesn't. Relevance.

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

It doesn't.