Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.
My name is Alan Shapiro, and I am joining you from the traditional, unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh nations in Vancouver. I hold a number of water-technology and business-focused roles, including as an environmental consultant and strategic adviser for Foresight Cleantech Accelerator's BC net zero innovation network.
Today I am asking the committee to consider three recommendations in its final report: first, that freshwater priorities be directly aligned with other environmental and economic focus areas; second, that water technology be embedded in federal freshwater discussions, including the Canada water agency and the freshwater action plan; and third, that more effective mechanisms be considered to deploy water solutions across Canadian communities and sectors.
I'd like to start by defining the landscape of water technology and blue economy in Canada. As the committee has already heard, water cuts across most of Canada's major sectors, from mining to agriculture, with significant intersections between water and climate. Water technology refers to products and services that support water quality, quantity, supply and stewardship across the water cycle. This includes water treatment technologies, such as ultraviolet disinfection and sensors to detect emerging contaminants in the environment; irrigation systems to reduce agricultural water usage; and platforms to help water facilities reduce energy and chemical consumption. All of these are examples of successful water solutions developed in Canada today.
“Blue economy” refers to the sustainable use and conservation of ocean and freshwater resources to support jobs and economic growth. Despite Canada's established brand as a global water leader, Fisheries and Oceans Canada's blue economy strategy has been framed as “an opportunity to harness [Canada's] ocean growth potential”. This oceans-only blue economy definition sidelines fresh water, a massive omission given that the Great Lakes alone generate more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in annual wages across Canada and the U.S. Plastic pollution is a good illustration of this breakdown. While plastic is a major issue facing the world's oceans, most of the eight million tonnes of plastic that end up in the oceans every year are contributed by rivers.
While no direct export data exists for water-related technologies and services, Statistics Canada reported nearly $18 billion of environmental and clean-technology exports in 2021, including in a number of water-related categories. Investments in water research, innovation, infrastructure and stewardship not only translate into public and non-profit sector jobs but also drive private sector growth, supporting high-paying jobs in technology development, manufacturing, skilled trades and business.
While Canada has strong foundations in water research and innovation, domestic technology adoption continues to be a major challenge. Studies identify risk aversion, conservative procurement processes, and poor environmental and economic incentives as barriers. Under current conditions, Canadian technology frequently needs to find an export market in order to be tested and deployed. A lack of local adoption opportunities limits the environmental and economic potential of these solutions. Local governments in particular are significantly under-resourced for making water-related investments.
There are a number of emerging initiatives across Canada that support water-tech adoption, such as Foresight Canada's clean-tech adoption platform and BC net zero innovation network.
I'd like to leave the committee with three recommendations.
First, given that water cuts across most of Canada's major sectors, it is critical to align freshwater priorities and investments with other environmental and economic focus areas, including workforce development, infrastructure planning and climate change.
Second, water technology must be embedded in federal freshwater discussions, including the Canada water agency and the freshwater action plan. Canada's established strength in applied water research and technology development are of limited value when not integrated into broader water policy and funding priorities. It is also critical that fresh water receives sustainable, long-term funding, including the federal government fulfilling its commitment to invest $1 billion in the freshwater action plan.
Finally, we need more effective mechanisms to demonstrate and deploy water technologies across Canadian communities and industries, including economic incentives, environmental regulations, and procurement processes. This is particularly important in regions and sectors facing acute water scarcity and climate impacts.
I thank the committee for studying this critical topic, and I look forward to answering any questions you may have.