Environment Committee on Dec. 1st, 2025

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

If I can say this because you were talking about restrictions or the like, whatever you were saying there—

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I want to know if oil from Saudi Arabia or from the United States will be subject to the same measures you're putting on Canadian suppliers.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I was trying to say—because the first part you were saying was that they're Canadian pieces—when it comes to LNG, for example, there are actual rules—

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

No. I'm not talking about LNG. I'm talking about oil. Oil from Saudi Arabia comes to Canada, but it's not subject to the penalties that your Liberal government is placing on Canadian oil. Are there going to be measures put on Saudi Arabian oil or oil from the United States that is currently coming into Canada?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

First of all, as Minister of the Environment, I'm not the person who's managing imports, but what I will say is that in the export markets—with all of our products and all of our energy products—there are actual bona fide rules being put in place by the jurisdictions to which we're seeking to export. They are asking for low methane. They're asking for it to be lower carbon. If we are looking to any market for any of our products, that's what we're seeing.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Okay, Minister, I can agree that you're not the minister responsible for importing, but you are the minister responsible for climate change action, as the Liberal government has put forward. It doesn't seem to apply to anybody except Canadian producers and suppliers, though. It will not apply to Saudi Arabia, and it will not apply to the United States.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I would say that the world is moving towards the low-carbon economy, and Canada has to be ready to meet that moment.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you.

Mr. St‑Pierre, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Good morning. Thank you for being here.

I'm going to avoid getting all worked up, and I'm going to ask my questions nicely.

We've talked a bit about industrial carbon pricing.

Minister, can you comment on how Canadian businesses can innovate and adopt cleaner technologies through industrial pricing?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

What we see with industrial carbon pricing is that it gives industries reasons to look at what they can do, not just to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but to find other ways to innovate. I'll use the example of our methane regulations. In Canada, we have several companies that are truly global leaders in reducing methane emissions and detecting methane leaks.

In Montreal, there's the example of GHGSat, a company that's very active in detecting methane leaks, which helps people and companies respond more quickly. At one point, GHGSat was one of the 100 largest clean-tech companies. It was a global leader, and it's based in Montreal.

When we have regulations that stem from a need, it also creates a market for these technologies. That means that we can see, here in Canada, that companies are advancing in innovation for these markets. We see it. I think we need to continue doing that work.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you.

GHGSat is a very innovative company in Montreal. As Montrealers, we are therefore very proud to have innovative companies like that one.

Earlier, you commented on industrial carbon pricing, citing studies that show that it doesn't increase the cost of food, for example.

Can you submit one of those reports to the committee? Can you comment on one in more detail?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

There are several things I can say.

At a committee meeting—I think it was at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food—even the president of Costco said that climate change had the greatest impact on the cost of food, not industrial carbon pricing.

I want to start by saying that, when the cost of food goes up, a lot of people in the industry say it's because of climate change. However, when it comes to industrial pricing, a report from the Canadian Climate Institute gives really good examples of how little impact it has on the cost of food.

I'm very happy to provide the committee with a copy of that report, because I think it's important. There's a lot of misinformation about why food prices are going up. It's not industrial carbon pricing. However, if we do nothing, climate change will have the greatest impact.

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Thank you. You're right that there's a lot of misinformation. We often hear it in the House as well.

Last week, I went from Montreal to Toronto for a conference. I took the train, and it took me six hours. I'm glad to hear that high-speed rail will reduce that to three hours.

In 30 seconds, can you comment on the economic benefits we could derive from the Alto project?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I think one of the best and most exciting examples of major projects stemming from the Building Canada Act is really high-speed rail.

First, it shows how we can create more connectivity between two provinces, Ontario and Quebec. It also shows how we can help people come together quickly and comfortably. As I say every time, right now, the train ride from Toronto to Montreal takes more than six hours.

It will also reduce emissions. It's going to create a lot of construction jobs and use Canadian aluminum and steel.

[The Chair, Liberal, Angelo Iacono]

Thank you, Minister.

Mr. Bonin, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, although Mr. Guilbeault says it's dishonest to tell Canadians that Canada can meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030, you say it's possible.

Concretely, how are you going to manage that? When can we expect you to show us something that will make us believe you?

I would like to believe you, but all we can see are setbacks. I'm not the only one saying this. That's also what Mr. Guilbeault, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development are saying.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

First of all, I never said that Mr. Guilbeault was dishonest. I want to make that clear. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Guilbeault. I didn't use those words. I want to make it very clear that I never said that.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

He's the one who says you're being dishonest when you say you're going to meet the targets.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

What I've said repeatedly is that we have big ambitions for these targets. We knew when we set them that it would be difficult. We also need every province to do its part to meet these targets.

However, we can do that. We have to try to do that. I hope that everyone here around the table agrees that we should continue to do this work.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

How can we believe you, Minister? When are you going to show us something that proves you right, when everyone says that Canada is falling behind?

The world sees you backing down.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

In the climate competitiveness strategy, we've already indicated that we're going to strengthen pricing—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Can you show us how much the climate competitiveness strategy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Can you submit a document?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

We will be tabling a document before the end of the year on progress in connection with our greenhouse gas reduction plan. This is something that—

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

So, by the end of the year, you're going to present us with a document that shows that Canada can meet its target.

Is that correct?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I'm sorry. Who is showing what?