Evidence of meeting #9 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was energy.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
Thank you very much. I'll be quick.
You talked about green energy and the fact that you don't know where nuclear lies, so how can you explain how nuclear energy was excluded from the green bond framework by this government?
If it was excluded from that framework, obviously this government isn't thinking that nuclear energy is green. Can you add to those comments, please?
Director General, Innovation Branch, Department of Natural Resources
Go ahead, Amanda.
Conservative
Director General, Office of Energy Research and Development, Department of Natural Resources
I'm sorry. It was my double mute again. I'm so sorry.
Director General, Office of Energy Research and Development, Department of Natural Resources
The Department of Finance is ultimately responsible for the green bond frameworks, so I would defer to them on—
Conservative
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
I understand that. Are you saying that the Department of Finance didn't ask the natural resource department at all what should be in and what should be out of the green bond framework?
Director General, Office of Energy Research and Development, Department of Natural Resources
NRCan obviously contributed to that framework, because a number of departments did, but we have not made the final decisions with respect to that framework.
Conservative
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
So is NRCan's recommendation to have nuclear in the green bond framework?
Director General, Office of Energy Research and Development, Department of Natural Resources
No, that is not what I said, sir. I said that the Department of Finance is best placed to answer the question with respect to the green bond framework.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
We have a minute or two left if you have a very hot question you want to get out there.
Liberal
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
Thank you very much.
Thanks very much to the witnesses.
I have a quick question about the trade commissioner service and the promotion of clean tech. It's definitely a focus of the government. The minister held a global clean-tech advisory group meeting back in March of last year. We know also that, among the trade commissioner service, we have four clean-tech trade commissioners who are based in different parts around the planet.
Can you tell us about how that function is operating and also what you would foresee we need to do to enhance the trade commissioner service to better promote clean tech?
Director General, Innovation Branch, Department of Natural Resources
I don't want to expand too much on the trade commissioner service. That is clearly with my Global Affairs colleagues, but I do want to say that we have been working extensively with the trade commissioner service in part by making sure that the relationship is strengthened between the TCS and NRCan in the various fields where we think there are opportunities for growth, or where we want to help some of our industries export their technologies and their expertise. There are strong linkages between the two. They are also part of the clean growth hub that I mentioned before. They are a member of the clean growth hub that comprises 17 departments and agencies.
This is how, from the NRCan perspective, we really work with TCS in beefing up their expertise and leveraging their capacity to really best support industry entering these markets.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I'm afraid that we've run out of time.
Thank you very much to the witnesses. We appreciate your taking your time and sharing your expertise with us this afternoon.
We will now go in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]