Evidence of meeting #136 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was tax.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Department of the Environment
Certainly—
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
I think a follow-up might be good in terms of managing time, but thank you, Ms. Nichols, for being here. I would like to give a detailed response to the shipping companies involved, as well as P & H. They are working together to try to reduce their footprint. They are looking at emissions from oil and gas on ships as one of their opportunities.
You also mentioned methane and agriculture. There's the Guelph statement in Ontario. We're working on sustainable agriculture practices and reducing methane outputs on the farm, particularly from dairy cattle and other cattle. Could you comment on the importance of methane reduction initiatives to our agricultural communities, which are embracing these initiatives?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
Yes. Thank you very much for your question.
I've met with members from the agriculture community, and they are indeed embracing many new and innovative ways of trying to reduce emissions, including through enteric fermentation, looking at different ways of harvesting crops and managing livestock, tillage and so on. There's so much innovation going on.
The government has launched an agriculture methane challenge as an example of one way of helping farmers promote that innovation to something that can be quite scalable. We still have quite a bit of work to do in the agriculture sector on methane, but Canadian farmers are innovating and are trying to reduce their footprint.
This methane challenge is one program, but there are other programs that the government is advancing to try to help in that regard. We could follow up on that as well.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you.
I was managing director of a Canadian division of a German company that was doing work on methane electricity production on the farm. Germany is a leader in that area; Canada is not so much.
Is part of your role transferring technology?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
Part of my role is also learning what technologies are out there, noting Canada's keen interest and, where possible, helping to connect companies to the solutions that are being asked for.
Liberal
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Ambassador, Canada must present its determined contribution at the national level. I'd like you to tell me when it will decide its target for 2035 and when it will make it public. Do you have any idea?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
Thank you very much to the honourable member for her question.
I will turn to Vincent Ngan, who has been working on our NDC, to answer that question, please.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Climate Change Branch, Department of the Environment
Thank you.
It will be in 2025.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Climate Change Branch, Department of the Environment
Absolutely. The NDC will be submitted to the UNFCCC, and then it will be made public accordingly.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Thank you very much.
I have a question about the oil and gas sector. According to the International Energy Agency, energy-related CO2 emissions must be reduced by 80% by 2035 in advanced countries, and all countries must contribute. Furthermore, the organization says that to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, new oil and gas developments must be stopped. Why is Canada doing this?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
It's important to know that in my role I advocate for what Canada is doing to help reduce emissions in the oil and gas sector. There is also recognition that there will be a continued need for oil and gas. The IEA also says that there will continue to be a need in 2050, albeit a much reduced need.
It's important to be able to highlight what we are doing as a producer in driving down emissions in Canada.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Ambassador, you know that the International Energy Agency also says that we must reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2035.
What does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say about the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential of carbon capture and storage measures, and their cost compared with other emission reduction options?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Answer very briefly, in 10 to 15 seconds if you can, because we're well over time now.
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch the question.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
What does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say about carbon capture and storage measures and, more importantly, their cost relative to other greenhouse gas reduction options?
December 2nd, 2024 / 11:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
I feel like we're wasting time. You can have 10 seconds.
What does the International Energy Agency say about carbon capture and storage and the cost relative to other options?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
Thank you.
I don't have that information at my fingertips.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks again, Ms. Stewart.
I want to quickly highlight the hypocrisy of Conservative members taking this tack on in-person versus virtual when they voted against virtual options for members of Parliament. Many of their members scoffed when climate concerns were raised.
While I appreciate, Ms. Stewart, that you are virtually attending this and I'm glad that you're aware and making choices each time and taking emissions into consideration, I do think that line of questioning kind of reeked of hypocrisy.
I want to ask you specifically about the emissions from exported Canadian oil and gas. We know that these emissions have skyrocketed. From 2012 to 2023, they increased by 58%. The environment commissioner's reports show that Canada isn't on track to meet its target of 40% to 45%, but these emissions are emissions that are undermining global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions don't know borders, as I know you are aware.
Can you talk about these emissions that will come back to haunt us when we're exporting them? Isn't it in our interest to decrease our emissions from exports?
Ambassador for Climate Change, Department of the Environment
I think it's in everyone's interest to reduce emissions in the oil and gas sector. That's why Canada is showing leadership internationally on this front. We were the first country to introduce a framework assessment against inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, as an example. We're also the first country to introduce an oil and gas emissions cap, and we have ambitious methane reduction regulations. There are many examples of things we are doing in the oil and gas sector, and it's important to underscore that.
NDP
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
It does seem like you were talking about emissions intensity before, when emissions intensity won't necessarily make a difference when it comes to what we're exporting.
If we're increasing our production and increasing our exports, even if we make that more efficient and maybe it helps us in our individual targets as a country, if we're exporting oil and gas, and we're increasing that and still continuing, even though—