Foreign Affairs Committee on March 3rd, 2022

[Peter MacDougall]

Very quickly on the humanitarian assistance side, we just announced $100 million on Monday, so I do not expect anything on that front in the immediate future.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Mr. Genuis, thank you very much.

Thank you to the officials.

We'll now go to Mr. Sarai, please, for five minutes.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

Canada has committed over $5.3 billion over five years for international climate finance. The minister's mandate letter instructs the minister to work with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault to mobilize and provide climate financing in order to support developing countries' adaptation, mitigation and resilience, including support for small island states at particular risk of climate-related emergencies.

What impact is climate change having on international development goals and international peace and security?

[Peter MacDougall]

As was noted, the government has committed a $5.3-billion climate finance package over five years, but I'll just review the results that were achieved over the previous five years. Briefly, over 222 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were reduced or avoided, and 5.9 million people have increased resilience to the effects of climate change.

Over the next five years, with twice as much money as we had in the previous five years, we will be supporting developing countries. About 40% of the portfolio will be for adaptation, and the remainder for mitigation. There are four thematic areas that we're going to focus on: clean energy transition and coal phase-out; climate-smart agriculture and food systems; nature-based solutions and biodiversity; and climate governance.

Within that, we have some targets that get at some of the issues that you just raised. As I said, 40% goes towards adaptation, 80% of our projects will integrate gender equality, and 20% will be focused on nature-based solutions that have co-benefits for biodiversity outcomes. Our funding is 40% from grants, so a lot of that will go to support the adaptation work, and the remaining money will be unconditionally repayable contributions or concessional loans.

This is all to say that we expect to continue to avoid greenhouse gases. Adaptation projects will not only help people affected by climate change to adapt, but it will have a real impact on peace and security by reducing some of the climate-induced contributions to conflict prevention.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

You touched on it a bit. How does Canada's climate finance commitment align with the feminist international assistance policy?

[Peter MacDougall]

Certainly, consistent with the international assistance policy that puts gender equality at its heart, climate finance is no exception, and 80% of our projects will integrate gender equality in them.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you.

What funding envelopes and mechanisms are being used to deliver this commitment? Who is eligible to receive and implement funding?

[Peter MacDougall]

We have worked with and we will work with a range of partners. Some of the big ones that you would recognize are the developments banks—the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Green Climate Fund and the World Bank. We also work with smaller organizations, particularly intermediary organizations.

I would say that on mitigation, in trying to mitigate climate change, we tend to work with larger organizations. On adaptations we tend to work with smaller, more local organizations. That's where we're headed over the next five years.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

When it comes to international aid year over year, how has Canada funded international aid in the last five to seven years?

[Peter MacDougall]

The government has a commitment, of course, as the minister said earlier, to increase international assistance every year until 2030. Since 2018, at least from memory, the government has increased its international assistance every year, budget after budget. The government's commitment is to continue to do that until 2030.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Along with Global Affairs, what tools does Canada have to support countries experiencing democratic crises and transitions?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Just give a brief answer, please.

[Peter MacDougall]

Last year we spent about $156 million to support countries and organizations working toward democratic transition and change. Both Minister Sajjan and Minister Joly are tasked to set up a Canadian centre for democracy and good governance support.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you very much, Mr. Sarai.

Thank you to the officials.

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

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to come back to the situation in Afghanistan and the situation in Ukraine. We know full well that part of the aid that Canada can give is humanitarian aid. There are all kinds of difficulties in getting that aid on the ground, which I mentioned earlier, specifically the fear that community organizations, Canadian humanitarian aid organizations, have about Afghanistan. We welcome people from Afghanistan as much as we do from Ukraine to our land.

How does your department work with the Department of Immigration to coordinate its actions on these two aspects of the help that Canada can give in difficult situations like those in Afghanistan and Ukraine?

[Peter MacDougall]

Your question is on the situation in both countries, correct?

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Yes, absolutely.

[Peter MacDougall]

First, I will give the floor to Mr. Thoppil on the subject of Afghanistan, and then to Ms. McCardell on Ukraine.

[Paul Thoppil]

Thank you, Mr. MacDougall.

We work very closely with IRCC on trying to uphold the government's commitment with regard to ensuring that 40,000 vulnerable Afghans are coming to Canada. At this point, since August 18, over 8,000 Afghans have come to Canada. There is already domestically, under the IRCC's mandate, a robust resettlement program in order to support these individuals. There are challenges in-country in Afghanistan in order to move on the remaining portion of this electoral commitment. One of them is the Criminal Code, as we discussed earlier, as well as the security situation in order to support these people.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you, Mr. Thoppil.

Your time is up, Mr. Bergeron.

Mr. MacDougall, if one of your other colleagues would like to put in a quick addition, we'll give you time to do that.

[Peter MacDougall]

Madam McCardell, perhaps on Ukraine...?

[Sandra McCardell]

Mr. Chair, I would simply say that we are obviously working closely with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. In terms of refugee programs, we are, of course, less advanced for some countries than others, where the conflict has been going on for a longer period of time.

However, we can assure you that several departments, including our own, are coordinating to respond to the situation in Ukraine, to support Ukrainians both inside and outside the country. We are coordinating our efforts with the Department of Finance, among others, on sanctions.

Let's say we see that everything is interrelated, and we are taking up this challenge.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sven Spengemann]

Thank you, Mr. Bergeron, as well as the officials.

I will now give the floor to Ms. Idlout for two and a half minutes. Please go ahead.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Qujannamiik.

I want to ask further about what my colleague started asking about regarding democratic crises and transitions. I understand that $156 million or so has already been contributed. You very briefly started to talk about the committee. I wonder if you could elaborate more on that committee and what it's done so far.

[Peter MacDougall]

Canada has supported democratic development around the world for decades through its international assistance. In this mandate letter, the government has committed to establishing a centre dedicated to promoting peace, human rights, democracy and inclusive governance.

Minister Joly is leading the work. Minister Sajjan will assist her. My colleagues in the department who lead on this file are working closely with civil society to consult and to understand better the role that civil society can play and what the needs are on the ground.

I will stop there.