Evidence of meeting #92 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 corson.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
We're developing different protocols for offsets, which will not be specifically for—
NDP
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
—the electricity sector. Our goal is to have a net-zero grid by 2035.
NDP
December 14th, 2023 / 1:20 p.m.
Liberal
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Minister, we asked the first question about the environmental bill for your trip to Dubai. Very attentive people who follow our debates inform me that a return trip to Dubai generates 18.1 tonnes of CO2. So I trust you to personally compensate for those emissions in your own way. It isn't up to the department to do so, but to you personally, since you were the one who went there. You will recall that, when you became minister, you said that you were going to cross Canada by train. I know you really believe in it, so show it with an approach to offset those 18.1 tonnes of CO2.
Speaking of travel, the minister appointed a Canadian ambassador for climate change, Ms. Stewart. The QMI agency has reported quite spectacular figures in terms of travel. In her first year in office, Ms. Stewart made 23 trips abroad. Of course, she didn't go to Maine. She went to Paris, Lisbon, Rome, Florence, Abu Dabi, Bali and London. She likes to travel. That's about one trip every two weeks. I understand that she is an ambassador and that, theoretically, she has to represent Canada. We understand that.
However, Mr. Minister, I'd like to ask you a question and have you answer it sincerely, since we know each other well. Does a biweekly trip make sense?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Deltell, if it weren't for international co‑operation in the fight against climate change, we would be heading toward a world where temperature increases would be 4°C. All we see in terms of the impact of climate change is an increase of 1°C. Thanks to the Paris Agreement, we're heading toward warming of about 2.3°C instead of 4°C. It's on the record; you can read it in black and white.
Every tenth of a degree of reduction is billions of tonnes of pollution that will not end up in the atmosphere. I think it's worthwhile for our Canadian ambassador for climate change, who, by the way, is based in Europe precisely to have to limit her transatlantic travel—
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
She is currently based in Germany, so going to London or Paris is a lot less distance for her than if I were the one going. So we made that policy decision.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
What is the environmental bill for her 23 trips, which you ultimately say aren't that bad? We think that's quite a lot. So what's the environmental bill? This information was reported in the media two weeks ago, and I can't believe that you don't know.
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
This is where I strongly disagree with you, Mr. Deltell, because if it weren't for this international work and this international collaboration on the fight against climate change, there would be billions more tonnes of pollution in our atmosphere. I think that—
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Is Ms. Stewart not familiar with Zoom and Teams?
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank my colleague Mr. Deltell for re-tabling the CCPI report, because the rankings are one thing, and they are concerning. However, looking at how they arrived at those rankings and what the recommendations are is very important as well. The number one thing that they point to is that oil and gas production is on the rise. The emissions from that sector are the only ones that are on the rise in our economy, and they point to that as more or less the sole reason for our ranking.
Alberta is by far the highest, and they are constantly fighting the federal government in court regarding our jurisdiction to reduce those emissions, but as I said, the recommendations in the CCPI report that my colleague Mr. Deltell raises are the most important, so I'm going to list them, Minister, and I'd appreciate it if you could keep track and let me know which ones our federal government has a plan for.
Number one is a strong oil and gas emissions cap.
Number two is a fossil fuel phase-out from the provinces, one that supports workers.
Number three is an emissions reductions plan that is transparent.
Number four is a climate-aligned financial regulatory system.
Of those four, Minister, which ones do we have a plan for—a strong oil and gas emissions cap, a fossil fuel phase-out from the provinces that supports workers, an emissions reductions plan or a climate-aligned financial regulatory system?
Liberal
Steven Guilbeault Liberal Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
I hadn't seen those recommendations, but by the looks of it, we've either implemented or are in the process of implementing three of four.
We've announced a framework for the cap. We have an emissions reduction plan, which many have said was the most transparent and most complete in the world. Number two would obviously be in the provinces' court.
On the alignment of financial flows, the first thing we did was eliminate the fossil fuel subsidies, but we are working as per the fall economic statement to implement further measures on taxonomy and climate disclosure.
Liberal
Adam van Koeverden Liberal Milton, ON
Thank you very much for that. Given the Conservatives' continual use of the CCPI report to advance their claims, I hope that they will also get behind those four recommendations.
Thank you very much.
Conservative
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
I want to table this report, but unfortunately we are refused each and every time.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Mr. Minister, I want to thank you for being with us a little longer than expected.
I have to end the meeting, as we no longer have the resources to continue from here.
I'll see you later, colleagues.
I would like to wish everyone happy holidays, a good rest, and it will be a pleasure to see you in January.
The meeting is adjourned.
