Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Hello, everyone. Thank you for the invitation to discuss the supplementary estimates (C).
I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered here on the official unceded lands of the Algonquin Anishinabe peoples.
I look forward to highlighting the investments we are seeking to make through the supplementary estimates and to discussing with you our investments to help Canadians seize key growth opportunities on the path to a low-carbon economy.
Canada can choose to be a leader in this global economic shift, or it can choose to sit back, take it slow and hope for the best, which is a much riskier choice.
We can either move forward with a robust plan for the future, or we can simply hope for the best.
The first path accepts that climate change is, indeed, a reality, one that we can and must address. It involves a thoughtful strategy in which the economy changes and grows stronger and more resilient, and in which the environment is better protected. The second path starts with shrugging off the damage that climate change has already caused: dramatic floods in our towns and cities, wildfires in our forests, dried-up rivers and melting glaciers.
We choose the first path, which will enable us to ensure a sustainable world while seizing economic opportunities offered through the transition to a low-carbon future. The investments sought in today's supplementary estimates contribute to this first path, which is towards a plan for the future.
These include over $12 million towards greening Canada's buildings through important actions such as building retrofits in neighbourhoods and industrial facilities, and towards accelerating improved energy codes; over $4 million for climate resiliency, building on our new national adaptation strategy; and a half a million dollars for the British Columbia old growth nature fund.
The supplementary estimates are also important for meeting the commitments made in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. For example, an additional $600,000 is required to continue the implementation of the declaration, including the development of the action plan.
As I mentioned, Canada is, in my view, well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the worldwide transformation towards a lower-carbon future. The Government of Canada has, for seven years, been working on strategies, investing and improving regulations to help Canada become the clean energy and technology supplier of choice in a net-zero world.
Successful strategies leverage comparative advantages. Make no mistake. Canada has a lot going for it to help us win on a global scale. We have well-educated and highly trained people; a lot of the natural resources that are increasingly in demand, including, very much, critical minerals and hydrogen; strong and innovative energy and clean technology expertise; banking; regulatory, political and legal systems that are stable; trade agreements with major economies around the world; and world-leading ESG standards.
Finally, because each province and territory has a unique mix of natural resources, the opportunities for transitioning to clean energy will differ across the country.
Through the regional energy and resource tables we have established with nine provinces and territories, we are working with the provinces and territories to unlock these opportunities on a regional and sectoral basis. My hope is to have all 13 up and running within the next few months. These opportunities include critical minerals, hydrogen, carbon capture, electric vehicles, renewables, biofuels and small modular reactors.
Overall, this government's approach represents a thoughtful, science-based and exciting plan for the future. It is far from those who ignore the scientific reality of climate change and simply hope for the best. Employing what I would call a “head in the sand” approach would lead us to environmental devastation while inviting economic stagnation that would make our industries uncompetitive and damage our economic potential. That path is unacceptable, and that is why our plan is a clear-eyed strategy to seize low-carbon economic opportunities.
We are talking about an economy that will work for all Canadians, including the thousands of energy workers whose skills and work ethic will contribute to our success.
Overall, a clear-eyed and thoughtful plan for the future is about a national effort to pass on an environment and an economy that will help our children and their children flourish for decades to come. This effort is represented very much in NRCan programming and in these supplementary (C)s.
I welcome any questions you may have.
Thank you very much for inviting me to be here with you today.