Environment Committee on Oct. 26th, 2020

[Sharon Irwin]

I believe that one was directed at me. Is that correct, Ms. Collins?

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Yes.

[Sharon Irwin]

Okay. Thank you.

With respect to skills development and training for auto workers and other people who are looking to reskill and retrain, it's probably a question best directed at a colleague from Employment and Social Development Canada. Within ISED, our focus is on industry development and industry support, research and development, and technology, but certainly, in building those programs and working with the sector, those considerations about the benefits brought to Canada do come in, from both an economic and a social perspective.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Ms. Irwin, do you have a sense of how many jobs in the low-carbon vehicle production sector would be created through the strategic innovation fund?

[Sharon Irwin]

I don't have a fulsome number. I can speak to a couple of particular projects as to whether they are—

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

No, that's okay. If there is that data, could we maybe get that sent to committee in written form?

[Sharon Irwin]

I will certainly inquire with my colleagues around the program.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Thank you.

Some sectors are seeing a downward trend in emissions, but transportation-related emissions have been rising by about 8% since 2015. It doesn't seem that we're on track to meet our climate targets or our emissions targets with electric vehicles. Even if light-duty vehicle emissions peak and drop, the heavy-duty truck emissions seem to be increasing.

When it comes to hydrogen fuelling stations, the documents that were provided talked about metropolitan areas, but not so much key freight corridors. The focus was more on natural gas refuelling. Is that just because of the technology that's available now? I'm wondering why that was the case and if there are other barriers.

[Paula Vieira]

Certainly, in the new programming that we got in 2019, we are looking at hydrogen refuelling along freight corridors as well, because we do see that as having huge potential for long-haul trucking, whereas with a battery, you would have no room for payload. Hydrogen is absolutely a huge opportunity for long-haul.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you very much.

I have a question for all of the witnesses. Can we make your statements public? Are you comfortable with making your statements public?

Mr. Albas, on a point of order.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Madam Chair, because there are many other members who haven't had an opportunity to ask questions, would it be possible to extend the meeting by half an hour, so we can have another round?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I have to ask the members, but I have to ask the clerk, first. Who has Zoom after us?

Alexandre, are we okay for an extension? If we are, then I'd like to ask the members.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I have a meeting I have to get to. I could provide a question to each witness, if that's what you want.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Madam Chair, we don't plan on passing any motions or whatnot, so quite honestly, it's just to ask questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Alexandre, go ahead.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Alexandre Roger]

The services in the room are all saying they can stay a further half an hour. It really depends on how the committee feels.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Perfect.

Mr. Longfield, you had your chance to ask a question. Mr. Jeneroux is next, followed by Mr. Albas, Mr. Baker, Ms. Collins and Ms. Pauzé. All of you will have two and a half minutes each.

Is everybody in agreement?

Ms. Collins, you had your hand up.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

I have a medical appointment, just a flu shot, scheduled in about 15 minutes. Is it okay if I switch over to my phone, and then I can jump back in?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Sure.

Are the witnesses okay with staying an extra half an hour? I don't see anybody saying no, so we are going to go to Mr. Jeneroux.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have a question for the transport department. You said that approximately 60,000 Canadians, or Canadian businesses, have benefited from the incentives for zero-emission vehicles program, the iZEV program.

Can you further break down that number? Of those 60,000, how many Canadians and Canadian businesses have used this program?

[Megan Nichols]

I'm afraid I don't have that specific piece of information at my fingertips, so we will have to get back to the committee with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I'm going to ask the clerk to make note of the request made by Mr. Jeneroux.

Mr. Jeneroux, please continue.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Would it be safe to say, though, that the majority of those purchases would be by businesses?

[Megan Nichols]

No, in fact there is a limit to how many zero-emission vehicle purchases a business can make under the program. It's limited to 10 purchases per year. There is a limit, and it would be safe to say that the majority are by individual Canadians.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

You're indicating that, essentially, more Canadians are walking into a dealership and buying a zero-emission vehicle than businesses. I get that there's a 10 limit per business, but that doesn't limit all businesses from going and then purchasing vehicles, is that correct?