Evidence of meeting #5 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was plan.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Thank you very much, Chair.
Minister, thank you very much for being here and for answering our questions.
Minister, in my community of Etobicoke Centre, my constituents talk to me about climate change regularly. They talk to me about it all the time, and I think many of them consider it to be the existential issue of our time, which we need to act on to save our planet for this generation and our future ones.
To save our planet, we all know that Canada and countries around the world need to reduce their emissions. Could you share with me and for the benefit of my constituents what emission reduction targets our government has committed to, and to what degree these targets will reduce our emissions?
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
There is no doubt that it is the existential issue of our time, and it is something that we must take action on in the short term if we want to leave a livable planet for our kids and our grandkids.
When this government took office in 2015, we developed a plan, the pan-Canadian framework, which was really the first real climate plan that had begun to be implemented that Canada has ever had. It identified 223 megatonnes in reductions on a pathway to achieving 30% lower greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 than existed in 2005. Subsequent to that, of course, we have committed to exceeding those targets. Part of the work we are doing is to identify the remaining megatonnes that we must find in order to hit the target and to go beyond. That is something we are working on every day.
We've also committed to net zero by 2050, and we will be bringing in binding legislation with five-year targets to ensure that this is the case.
Climate change is an enormous priority for this government, and we are doing the work to ensure that we are moving forward in a manner whereby Canada can look our children in the eyes and also be part of the international conversation.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Thanks, Minister.
You alluded a little bit to it in your answer, but maybe I'll ask you to expand on it. It's one thing to say we have targets we want to hit and it's another thing to have the mechanisms to make sure we're bound, and future governments are bound, to deliver on them. Can you talk a little about the legislative measures or any other measures that will be put forward and passed to ensure that this government and future ones actually live up to those commitments that we've made?
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
Yes. In terms of legislation, we committed to legislating Canada's goal of net zero by 2050. We are not alone in this regard. There are a number of countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, that have done this. We will be setting legally binding five-year milestones that will be informed by advice from experts. We will be ensuring that we are putting in place transparency mechanisms that will be enforcing functions for all future governments with respect to the work that needs to be done to achieve the net zero target, which science tells us we need to do. That is something we do intend to move forward with and we certainly intend to do that in the near term.
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Okay.
Just to recap, we've committed to meet certain emission reduction targets, and you described in your prior answer the mechanism to bind us to get there. The big question, and the question I imagine you wrestle with, the question I hear from my constituents, is how do we actually do that? How do we actually reduce our emissions? Can you share with us how we're going to do that? What are the most important actions we're going to take to achieve those emission reduction commitments?
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
I think the focus, obviously, has to be on all the areas in the economy where there are significant sources of emissions, and eventually on all sectors of the economy where there are any emissions. That means looking at transportation, buildings, industry, the oil and gas sector and waste, and ensuring that we have plans that allow us to have visibility about how we're going to take big chunks out of those emissions by 2030 to ensure we are not only meeting but also exceeding our target, and also that we're thinking forward to 2050 so that we're not going down blind alleys that may help us to get to 2030 but are dead ends to getting to net zero.
That is part of the work we are doing right now. Again, I hope to be in a position to speak a little more generally about exactly how we're going to do that in the relatively near term.
Liberal
Liberal
Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
No.
Minister, I don't know if you wanted to add anything to that answer in the remaining 30 seconds or if there's anything you weren't able to respond to with the prior members.
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
The only way you could do this, and meet these kinds of targets, is if you take a comprehensive view. That means you need to think about a whole range of issues—regulatory mechanisms, investments, tax mechanisms—and it means pricing pollution.
In the absence of a comprehensive plan that utilizes all the available tools, it's very difficult to see how to have a plan that has any credibility in hitting those targets.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Thank you.
I understand that Madame Pauzé has left the room, so there will be a replacement. Who is it?
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Yasmin Ratansi
Then I suggest that Ms. Collins take the next round. It is two and a half minutes.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
In his response to Mr. Baker, the minister mentioned that his government would be bringing forward climate accountability legislation in the near term. I find this language concerning, especially since, in the throne speech, the word used was “immediately”. That was back in September. It's now November. I'm curious about the timeline for enacting climate legislation and bringing forward this very important, much-needed and long-delayed plan to exceed our climate targets.
Liberal
Jonathan Wilkinson Liberal North Vancouver, BC
First of all, the word “immediately” in the throne speech referred to the 2030 plan, not to the legislation for 2050, but certainly I am in agreement with the member that we do need to ensure we are moving swiftly. The year 2030 is not very far away, and while people think that 2050 is a long way away, if we do not start to take action soon, it will certainly be problematic.
