Evidence of meeting #11 for Natural Resources in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was uranium.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart, for your questions.
We go now to Mr. McGuinty for up to seven minutes.
Go ahead, please.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much, witnesses.
I will turn right to Ms. Schwann.
Ms. Schwann, thank you for the deck. It's very well prepared, very informative, and helpful in terms of projections. You say that in 2008 mining in Saskatchewan accounted for 12% of GDP in Saskatchewan. What percentage of greenhouse gases is mining responsible for in Saskatchewan in the same year?
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
As part of that response, will you allow us to include the reductions of greenhouse gases because we produce uranium that's used worldwide?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Well, what is the generic measurement system that the federal Conservative government is using and that presumably you're using as well in Saskatchewan to help the government achieve its 17% reductions from 2005 levels? Is the federal government counting uranium exports?
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
No, unfortunately, they aren't. They are not.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
So we shouldn't do that here. If we use the target the federal government's using, what are the overall greenhouse gas emissions from Saskatchewan today in mining, given that it's 12% of GDP?
4:10 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
On greenhouse gas emissions from Saskatchewan, I don't have absolute numbers, but I can tell you that per capita I believe they are the highest in Canada. That's not related necessarily to mining, but that's because our primary source of power in the province is from coal-fired generators. So from mining per se, I don't know, but for the mining byproduct it would be fairly high.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Well, you've talked in your brief, and we've danced around fancy words like triple bottom line and corporate social responsibility. You've mentioned species at risk and you've mentioned the need to streamline environmental assessment, all of which is important to address.
Let me ask you, does Saskatchewan have a provincial climate change or greenhouse gas reduction target? I know that Quebec does and Ontario and B.C. do. Does Saskatchewan have one? Where does the mining sector fit within that? This study is all about northern development, not just Saskatchewan's. I'm trying to see how this all fits together. Does Saskatchewan have a target and how does the mining sector in Saskatchewan fit within it?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
The Government of Saskatchewan does have a target. It's very similar to the federal one, but the year that they start looking at baseline emissions is not the same.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Okay. Just so I understand, the Saskatchewan target and plan don't actually fit with the national numbers that the government continues to use, and you're not really in a position to tell us internally in Saskatchewan what greenhouse gases are actually caused by mining alone. Because you mentioned coal-fired generation. I understand that. Do I have that right?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
Mr. McGuinty, I could likely get you that information, if I could forward that to the committee. I just don't have that available. I believe the provincial government, though, does have information on mining, on sector-specific greenhouse gas emissions. I'd be pleased to provide that to you.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Okay. But your 40 members, your Saskatchewan Mining Association, you're a major contributor to government revenue and you say there will be $43 billion in investments in the next 20 years, but at the this stage you don't have a greenhouse gas number or trajectory or plan for the sector? As a trade association, do you have one?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
No, it's not part of our mandate to have that.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
It's not part of the mandate of the Saskatchewan Mining Association to have a greenhouse gas reduction plan...?
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Mr. Lapointe, do you know what the greenhouse gas reduction targets are in Quebec?
4:15 p.m.
Cofounder, Coalition pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine
This is not my area of expertise. I couldn't give you the exact percentage. However, from memory, I would say that it's a more ambitious target than the one in the Kyoto Protocol, which aimed at a reduction of 6% compared to 1990 levels. For 2020, I think it is even more ambitious.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
In the context of the work you do in collaboration with civil society and in the Coalition Pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine, do you deal with greenhouse gas targets? Do you work with the companies involved?
4:15 p.m.
Cofounder, Coalition pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine
Honestly, I find that this is a very good question and one that has not been given sufficient attention at present.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Do you think that it's possible to have a national plan pertaining to the development of resources in the Canadian north without having one that deals with greenhouse gases?
4:15 p.m.
Cofounder, Coalition pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine
An ambitious plan concerned with environmental, social and economic issues should indeed deal with greenhouse gases. It's important.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON
Ms. Schwann, if I could ask you the same question in English, do you think it's possible for us to be examining a resource development study in northern Canada without examining the implications for greenhouse gases for the country, particularly as we race to exploit an awful lot of wealth in Canada's north, including in Saskatchewan?
4:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Saskatchewan Mining Association
Sorry, Mr. McGuinty. Are you directing the question to me? The first part of the question was cut off, so I didn't hear everything.