Environment Committee on May 3rd, 2022

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

As you know, in the emissions reduction plan that was tabled on March 29, we made a commitment to provide more than $1 billion of measures to support the agricultural sector in Canada. On top of that, we are working with the agricultural sector to recycle some of the revenues of carbon pricing directly to the sector. We are very supportive of our agricultural sector in Canada.

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

So you'll keep on adding to the price. You don't know what the price is.

You're going to keep on—

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Of course we know what the carbon price is. We know it all the way to 2030, sir.

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

Okay.

I'm going to ask about fertilizer. The government plans to reduce fertilizer emissions. Just out of curiosity, do you believe in the phase-out of synthetic fertilizers?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I believe there are a number of technologies and agricultural practices that can help us reduce the emissions of the agricultural sector in Canada. In fact, a number of farms across the country are—

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

Do you believe in the phase-out?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

—already conducting some of these technologies in agricultural practices.

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

So there's no answer.

When was the last time you visited a grain farm?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

It's not because it's not the answer you want that it's not an answer, sir.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I'm sorry, gentlemen; I have to stop the clock. Mr. Longfield has a point of order.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

I'm listening to questions that are being posed and answers being given, and then people are contradicting answers that they don't like because they don't believe the answers line up with their own personal opinion. I think we need to let the minister answer his questions, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We have another point of order.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

While I don't agree necessarily with my colleague or his line of questioning, I do think that the minister can answer and doesn't need members of the committee defending him.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Yes, he can certainly answer for himself. I understand the process. I've been here long enough to know that it's a time to ask pointed questions to ministers, but I think we should let the minister answer more fully.

Anyway, we'll keep going and see how it works out.

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

I have a minute left, right?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Even a little more than that: a minute and seven seconds.

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

Minister, when was the last time you visited a grain or cattle farm in western Canada as an environment minister?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I've been an environment minister for about five months, and I haven't had a chance to visit a farm yet in eastern, central or western Canada.

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

Your carbon tax applies to thousands of municipalities, schools and hospitals across Canada. Can you tell me how taxing these institutions is reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

I would be happy to organize a workshop for you and any of your colleagues on why. Pretty much every expert around the world who has looked at different mechanisms to reduce emissions have come to the conclusion that putting a price on pollution is one of the most effective ways of reducing emissions. Basically, you're sending a price signal to consumers and the market. That's one of the most basic economic systems we know of.

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

You mean taxing a hospital?

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We're out of time, unfortunately. We'll have to go to Mr. Weiler.

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Minister, for taking part in our committee today.

Minister, in your opening remarks, you mentioned that alongside working to lower emissions, ECCC is protecting and conserving nature. More than $609 million in these estimates is devoted towards conserving nature, and over $289 million in contributions are going to the Canada nature fund. I know the nature fund has supported important projects like the Ryan River Conservation Area in my riding.

Areas like old growth forests in British Columbia and the boreal forest in Ontario provide important ecosystem services, and they're globally significant in acting as carbon sinks. I'm hoping that you could tell this committee more about our current efforts to conserve more of these important places.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Weiler.

You are correct. Our government has made historic commitments and investment in nature conservation. In budget 2021 we included $2.3 billion to deliver on our commitment to protect 25% of our lands and oceans by 2025, building on the historic investment of $1.3 billion in budget 2018.

Since 2015, approximately 290,000 square kilometres of land have been conserved, an area more than half the size of Manitoba. Some examples of newly protected areas since 2018 include the Thaidene Nene National Park Reserve, which is an area designated as a whole with indigenous protection and conservation. It's the transfer of over 800 square kilometres of native prairie grassland to Environment Canada from the Province of Saskatchewan to be managed as a conservation area.

The Government of Canada is also pursuing public-private partnerships to help meet, protect and conserve areas' objectives. Launched in 2019 with a $100-million investment from the Government of Canada, the natural heritage conservation program, a four-year program administered by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, with contributions from partners like Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country's land trusts, supports the securement of private lands with high biodiversity value for conservation. The government is committed to protecting 25% of our lands by 2025, as well as our oceans, and 30% by 2030.

I should point out that before our arrival in 2015, the previous government had barely protected 2% of our oceans. Since 2015 we've brought that up to more than 14%. We've made significant progress to achieve our 2025 commitments, but we are well aware there is a lot more work that needs to be done.

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Thank you.

I'd like to follow up on that last point.

The 25% goal of lands and waters by 2025 is a very ambitious goal for the second-largest country in the world. Unfortunately, the departmental plans indicate that our target is only protecting 17% to 20% of our lands and inland waters by 2025. I was hoping you could tell this committee if Canada on track to meet our goals by 2025, and if not, what is it going to take for us to be able to reach those targets?