Thank you.
Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, thank you for inviting the Canadian Electricity Association to appear here this afternoon and to take part in your review of the Fisheries Act.
I'm very pleased to represent the Canadian Electricity Association, along with a colleague, Dr. Jay Walmsley, who is a senior environmental scientist with Nova Scotia Power.
Together we're going to provide you with the electricity sector's perspective as it relates to the Fisheries Act, but first a few words about the association.
CEA is the national voice and forum for the electricity sector across Canada, and this year we're celebrating our 125th anniversary. Our membership comprises 37 generation, transmission, and distribution companies from across Canada. Our members provide the electricity service to customers in all of your ridings. Our membership also includes nearly 80 manufacturers, technology companies, and consulting firms, representing the full spectrum of the electricity value chain.
Since 2009, the association has provided national direction on industry sustainability efforts through our sustainable electricity program, which is a triple bottom-line program focused on economic, social, and environmental performance consistent with national and international principles of corporate sustainability.
Electricity is, in a word, indispensable. It's indispensable to the quality of life of Canadians and to the competitiveness of our economy. In fact, in 2015, the electricity sector contributed $30 billion to Canada's GDP, making it a significant contributor to the Canadian economy.
In addition, over 80% of electricity generation in Canada has no greenhouse gas emissions, making it one of the cleanest in the world, and it's with pride that I tell you that no other Canadian sector has reduced its carbon footprint to the extent that our sector has. Since 2005, this sector has reduced GHG emissions by 30%, and it's expected to decrease significantly more by 2030, through more efficient technologies and increased investments in renewable power.
Federal environmental legislation, like the Fisheries Act, is critical in this regard. The electricity sector is committed to protecting and conserving our natural resources and natural heritage for future generations. CEA and its members are supportive of the government's desire to review the act and incorporate modern safeguards into its implementation.
We recognize that the changes made previously to the act, while generally positive for our sector, might have resulted in a perception of lost protections, but for the electricity sector, the act continues to provide the same level of protection as before 2012, and in some cases has strengthened protection. Examples include strengthened requirements around the industry's duty to self-report serious harm to fish, the duty to take corrective measures to prevent or remedy adverse effects, and increased penalties and enforcement.
However, the act has been significantly constrained through the lack of adequate policy and definitions, and a reduction of staff at DFO regional offices. In this respect, we have 10 recommendations we would like to put forward for the committee's consideration, for both changing the act and enhancing public trust. You'll find those in the brief we provided to the committee.
I'm going to ask my colleague, Dr. Jay Walmsley, to speak to those recommendations.