Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank the committee for inviting me to appear before it today.
Transport Canada is firmly committed to the targets of the greening government strategy and is committed to achieving more ambitious zero-emission vehicle replacement targets than are required, at 100% rather than 80%.
As noted in the audit report, Transport Canada has made progress in meeting the Government of Canada's greenhouse gas reduction targets. Indeed, Transport Canada has developed a roadmap to net-zero emissions aligned with the greening government strategy and has implemented internal controls to validate the data received on Transport Canada's assets and their energy performance.
Transport Canada's greenhouse gas emissions portfolio is unique compared to the portfolios of other departments in that most of our emissions, over 80%, come from our vehicle fleet. In the case of other departments, the emissions come primarily from their facilities.
The situation represents a challenge for Transport Canada, but also a unique opportunity to encourage innovation in these areas to create a more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation system.
As part of the audit of Transport Canada's implementation of the greening government strategy, the commissioner issued one recommendation with two parts. One is to continually identify new activities that will significantly contribute to emissions reductions and prioritize them based on risk; the other is to develop a risk management approach that defines significant risks and corresponding mitigation measures.
Transport Canada has accepted this recommendation in both parts, and the department's carbon-neutral road map, which was originally developed in 2018, is now being updated. The purpose of the road map is to set out a plan for how the department intends to reduce its GHG emissions over the next 30 years and meet the requirements of the greening government strategy by identifying activities, measures, timelines, milestones and projected investments, as well as the estimated reductions that will come from all of them from Transport Canada assets.
The road map will continue to be updated and revised as required, as new information and technologies become available and as new risks emerge. It will significantly contribute to the department's overall GHG reduction plan.
We also agree that we should have a mechanism in place to identify and manage major significant implementation risks. To this end, as part of the carbon-neutral road map of Transport Canada, a risk management framework is currently being developed to support the prioritization of resources and respond to risks as they emerge.
In closing, our department is firmly committed to continuing the work of greening how we do business, reducing our GHG emissions and taking the necessary steps to ensure we protect the environment and reach our targets as we move forward.
Thank you very much.