Evidence of meeting #27 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 technology.
A recording is available from Parliament.
3 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Okay. Thanks very much.
We'll go now to Mr. Weiler for the last question.
3 p.m.
Liberal
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Thank you.
I'd like to go back to Mr. Breton for a question.
You mentioned the recent report by Clean Energy Canada and the importance of Canada's critical minerals strategy in being able to fully take advantage of the opportunities in the electric vehicle supply chain. I was hoping you could comment on that piece, the upstream part with the mining sector that Canada really needs to advance on.
3 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Electric Mobility Canada
I'm sorry. I could hardly hear you. Could you repeat that, please?
3 p.m.
Liberal
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Sure.
You mentioned Clean Energy Canada's recent report on taking advantage of the opportunities in the electric vehicle supply chain. Earlier in your testimony, you also mentioned the importance of Canada's critical minerals strategy. I was hoping you could expand on that and on what Canada needs to do to be able to fully leverage its mineral resources to advance electrification in transport.
3 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Electric Mobility Canada
I would say that we need to make sure that we not only extract the resources but transform the resources here as well.
In the past, Canada was very good at extracting resources, whether it was wood or oil or anything else. The crude products would be sent outside the country. Then we would end up having value-added products come back to us. The best jobs and the best technologies would be developed elsewhere.
As I mentioned, when we're talking about battery technology that was developed in Quebec and Nova Scotia, it would make no sense if Canada had a critical minerals strategy whereby we would send our crude products, our minerals, to the U.S. for them to transform them and make them into packs and batteries. I think it's very important that we have an integrated strategy that will create as many jobs as we can in Canada.
That's why we need regulation that is ambitious enough and stringent enough for us to not let every mineral that comes out of the earth in Canada go directly to China, or anywhere else, for that matter. I think this is very important.
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
Patrick Weiler Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Thank you.
I'd like to address my next question to the Canadian Fuels Association.
What opportunities do you see for Canada in the decarbonization of transport and shipping on the marine side?
3:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Public Affairs, Canadian Fuels Association
Thank you very much for the question. I think my colleague Dave Schick is probably in the best position to answer that.
3:05 p.m.
Vice-President, Western Canada, Innovation and Regulatory Affairs, Canadian Fuels Association
I think it's multi-faceted. We have the opportunity to increase the amount of biofuels in the marine sector. Canada has an opportunity to take waste residue and create fuels in that regard. I think that's a significant opportunity. Our members have large projects that are planned to produce renewable diesel by either coprocessing products or producing renewable diesel in that regard.
There's also the potential for ammonia from methane extraction as a marine fuel. That is an excellent one. I think liquefied natural gas over the near term is an opportunity for the marine sector as well. Some would say it's transitional, but it's also a very significant opportunity to leverage the resources through CCUS and have liquefied natural gas that's of a lower carbon intensity as well.
3:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Thank you so much.
That's all the time we have today. I want to thank the witnesses for a very informative and at times lively discussion. I'm sure the analysts very much appreciate the input we've received today, as do all the members. Thank you very much.
Have a good weekend, everyone. We'll see the members next week on Tuesday.
The meeting is adjourned.