Environment Committee on Nov. 4th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

I call the meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number five of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. The committee is meeting today to consider the main estimates.

The committee meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of September 23, 2020. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website. You all know the rules for muting your mikes, addressing everything to the chair, etc.

I'd like to welcome our witnesses. We have with us today the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister Wilkinson. We also have Madam Martine Dubuc, associate deputy minister, Department of the Environment; Mr. David McGovern, president, Impact Assessment Agency of Canada; and Ron Hallman, president and chief executive officer, Parks Canada Agency.

Minister, I believe you have five minutes for your opening remarks. You will be with us for one hour, after which I guess your department officials will be taking over and answering any additional questions.

Minister, the floor is yours.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee.

I'm certainly happy to be here with you to discuss the 2020-21 main estimates for Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Parks Canada Agency and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. I am joined by my officials, as the chair has noted. They will certainly be happy to take questions from you in the second hour.

I would like to start by recognizing that this meeting is taking place on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people, although I am situated on the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and Squamish first nations.

Without question, the world has changed significantly since we last met. COVID-19 has created tremendous loss and uncertainty here in Canada and all around the world. What has become increasingly clear is that we cannot choose between COVID-19 recovery efforts, climate action and the protection of nature. We must address COVID-19, but we must address the looming crises on the horizon of climate change and rapid biodiversity loss. The work before us, supported by the 2020-21 main estimates, is essential to ensuring that we can move forward effectively. The work we are discussing today is focused on continuing to deliver real and effective results.

The total funding in the 2020-21 main estimates for Environment and Climate Change Canada is approximately $2 billion. This represents an increase of about $154.8 million from the previous year's total estimates.

At home, the department is continuing to implement the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change. With over 50 measures, this framework supports everything from electric vehicles and public transit to energy efficiency and renewable energy. At the same time, the department is leading government-wide work to develop further plans to ensure that we exceed Canada's 2030 emissions reduction goal and firmly put the country on a path to net zero by 2050.

In addition to the new measures, in the months ahead we will seek advice from experts and consult with Canadians about pathways to achieve our goal of a net-zero economy by 2050 while growing the economy and making life more affordable for all Canadians.

These pathways must also integrate nature protection, which is vital to our efforts to combat climate change and a significant priority.

Moving forward, we plan to conserve 25% of Canada's land and 25% of Canada's oceans by 2025, and we are working to reach 30% of each of those goals by 2030.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Minister, the translation is not working. The French is not being translated into English.

When you're speaking French, do you have it on the French channel or the English channel?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

I'm pretty sure it was on the French channel.

Let me try it again.

Can you understand me now?

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Yes. Please proceed.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Okay.

The department is also continuing its work to protect biodiversity and species at risk.

Collaboration in that is also essential to all of our work, including our goal to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030, and ban harmful single-use plastics by 2021.

Another vital service, Madam Chair, is the weather and environmental prediction services the department provides to Canadians 24 hours a day.

The department is also developing further protections and taking steps to clean up the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake Simcoe and other large lakes.

In addition, we are working to modernize and strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

Let us now turn to Parks Canada.

After a brief suspension of visitor services, Parks Canada adapted its delivery to respond to the challenge of COVID-19 and reopen national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas on June 1.

From June through September, over 13.4 million Canadians were able to safely spend their recreational and vacation time in Parks Canada-administered places. Through the fall and winter, operations will continue in a number of parks and sites.

The main estimates for 2020-21 for Parks Canada are $1.1 billion. Parks Canada will continue protecting nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage in Canada and sharing the stories of these treasured places with Canadians. Parks Canada is also working on a proposal to develop a legislative framework that would strengthen the protection of cultural heritage in Canada.

As for the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Madam Chair, its main estimates total $76.5 million.

Madam Chair, I hope this summary provides committee members with the insight on the 2020-21 main estimates for Environment and Climate Change Canada, Parks Canada and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada that they are seeking.

I am very happy to engage in conversation and to try to respond to your questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Thank you, Minister. Thank you for keeping within your time.

We have the first round of questions for six minutes with Mr. Albas.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister, thank you for the work you do and for your commitment to our country.

Minister, your party committed to plant two billion trees over 10 years. We now know that none have been planted because there is no budget and there is no plan.

As trees take time to grow, have any trees been ordered for planting next year?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Albas.

Certainly our government remains committed to planting two billion trees to help fight climate change and to address biodiversity issues. During this period, of course, there has not been a federal budget during the pandemic, but we have provided $30 million to the forest sector so that businesses could safely continue tree-planting operations during COVID-19. This has helped to ensure the scheduled planting of 600 million trees.

We certainly remain committed to the two billion trees. I think you will see that we have been developing a plan, and you will see that coming forward in the near term.

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

Well, Minister, the estimates process and the supplementary estimates allow for you to be able to put something into a budget. As you know, in our province of British Columbia, 314 million trees were planted this year.

This initiative was raised again as a commitment in your throne speech. Why the discrepancy? Why are you simply saying that we are going to get to it some day without actually having a plan?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

With respect, I think the fact that it was in the throne speech is a measure of the commitment this government has to moving forward with that commitment. We certainly do intend to move forward with it.

In the interim, during the COVID period, we worked very closely with the forestry sector to ensure that they would be able to get the tree-planting done that they had planned to do, but obviously that planting was impacted by COVID-19. That was 600 million trees, and we certainly intend to move forward with the two-billion-tree commitment in the near term.

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

Minister, this was in your election platform. This was a major announcement by your predecessor and by the Prime Minister himself. To say that it was simply raised again in the throne speech and is a priority is not giving sufficient indication that you're serious about it. Have you identified locations to facilitate the planting of two billion trees?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Yes. Certainly, the development of the plan involves looking at locations. It obviously looks at the partnerships we would be utilizing in the context of developing those locations. It looks at urban and rural planting of trees. Those considerations all go into the development of a plan.

Again I would say, with due respect, that it certainly was a commitment during the campaign. As all of us are aware, COVID-19 came upon us in March just in advance of the budget. We do intend to move forward with it in the near term, and I think this is the appropriate time to do that, in the same way that we are moving forward with a commitment to developing and bringing forward a plan to exceed our climate target.

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

Minister, as I said earlier in my comments, it takes time for trees to be ordered and then to be grown. By not having a budget right now for this allocation for these trees, you won't see anything planted next year, so is the plan to do this in year three? Isn't that hundreds of millions of trees behind schedule?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

As I say, we will be coming forward with visibility in terms of what the planting looks like over the coming number of years.

I think you have to take a step back and look at why we're planting trees. The reason we're planting trees is that it has to be part of an ongoing climate plan. It's part of the nature-based solutions elements of the climate plan, but it's also a key element in trying to prevent further biodiversity loss in this country, such as protecting species like caribou, which are in steep decline in pretty much every province and territory in this country. That is a critical piece. As I say, it remains a critical part of this government's agenda, and we intend to move forward in the near term.

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

Minister, another commitment you've made is to double Canada's protected areas by 2025 to 25% of our land base. How will you equal over 150 years of planned protection in only 50 months? It takes years to create protected lands. There are many steps with local and provincial and first nations consultation. Have you identified all the areas that will need to be protected to meet the 25% promise? If not, there's no possible way to get there.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

I will tell you a couple of things. I mean, it's a good question, but I would start by saying that when our government came to office in 2015, less than 1% of marine areas were protected in this country. Right now it's just a little bit less than 15%, so in four years we made an enormous amount of progress relative to what had been done before.

We've also made progress with respect to terrestrial protection, although obviously terrestrial is more complicated. You have to involve provinces and territories in those conversations. We have active work going on to achieve the 17% number, which was the initial Aichi target. We have identified a number of different areas that will allow us to move forward to the 25% across this country. We feel very confident that we will be able to achieve that number.

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

Can you give us an example of where this would be located?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

I can tell you that there are areas in every province and territory in this country. Those are things that we have been discussing with provinces and territories and with indigenous communities. They have been the leaders on many of these issues, whether that's first nations in the south or Inuit in the north.

As I say, we feel confident that we will be able to meet that number. Obviously, we need to work through a range of issues with our partners.

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

When do you plan on telling Canadians where these will be? Do you have a detailed plan?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Well, as I say, we have a very detailed plan with respect to the 17% number. We have a range of areas that are identified with our partners. This is something we will be discussing with a range of stakeholders, and of course that information will be public.

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

Minister, you've given me zero visibility, so perhaps we can move to something where perhaps you might be able to.

As part of the electric vehicle subsidy, why doesn't the Canadian government collect data on user—

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Mr. Albas, your time is up. I am sorry. I thought I gave you a 30-second warning, but I was on mute.

At any rate, thank you. You can come to that in the next round.

Mr. Longfield, you have six minutes.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll be sharing my time with Mr. Saini.

I want to continue on the tree topic. On page 102 of the main estimates, there's a line item for conserving nature, under “operating”, of $174 million, with revenues and transfers to the provinces as well. I'm looking at how in Guelph we have a tree canopy goal of reaching 40% of tree canopy, but the municipality hasn't been able to move that forward in the last few years. I know that Minister McKenna previously announced some tree-planting in Ottawa, which was recovering a cancelled program from the Province of Ontario, where they eliminated tree-planting as part of their focus.

Minister, could you comment on how the federal government is supporting our communities in combatting climate change with programs like natural climate solutions?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure are important. They're important in a whole range of ways, but certainly they're important from a sequestration perspective in helping us to meet goals. They're important from a resilience and climate adaptation perspective. They can be very important in terms of the protection of biodiversity. These are certainly part of how we need to go about addressing the two crises we face, one of which is climate and the other biodiversity loss.

We have taken significant steps to empower communities like Guelph to implement nature-based solutions in locally significant ways. One example is our government's EcoAction community funding program, which provides funding to protect, rehabilitate, enhance and sustain the natural environment in communities across the country. Of course, communities will be involved as we begin to roll out the issue we were talking about earlier, which is the commitment to two billion trees and the restoration of wetlands. On this project, we will be partnering not only with provinces and territories but also with communities across this country.