Jonathan Wilkinson

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the hydrogen strategy for Canada released in 2020 provided initial analysis of the potential opportunity and role that low-carbon hydrogen could play in Canada. As such, it modelled what the full potential of hydrogen could be in Canada’s energy system, including the economic, environmental and social benefits created by different scenarios and actions.

The modelling focused on the near term, and economically viable end-uses, such as heavy-duty transportation, natural gas blending, cement and steel manufacturing and low-carbon fuel production. These were identified through the engagement undertaken with other government departments, provinces and territories, academia and industry across Canada. The analysis included aspects of technology readiness levels, economic competitiveness, adoption potential and other factors, including supporting infrastructure. Projected demand was not within the scope of this initial modelling, thereby associated costs of supplying hydrogen that would be deployed to meet the projected demand were likewise out of scope.

The modelling undertaken for the hydrogen strategy for Canada was the first of its kind, as Canada had never previously undertaken nationally-based modelling specifically looking at the potential initial vision of using low-carbon hydrogen in various decarbonization applications such as those identified above. Since this was a nascent sector, the modelling had limited data on actual usage of low-carbon hydrogen. It relied on data and assumptions based on historical usage of hydrogen as an energy source. Future modelling will make use of data based on actual usage of low-carbon hydrogen as an energy source, based on pilot, demonstration and early deployment projects.

Natural Resources Canada, or NRCan, continues to track progress on low-carbon hydrogen production, infrastructure and end-use projects to improve projections in Canada around the potential role of low-carbon hydrogen in the future, including its role in electrification. In the upcoming progress report update of the hydrogen strategy, expected to be published in early 2024, NRCan will provide updated low-carbon hydrogen modelling projections from six different modelling initiatives that considered hydrogen in the context of net-zero by 2050. Each of these were undertaken since the publication of the hydrogen strategy for Canada in 2020, and the progress report will present the full range of new results.

[Oil and Gas Industry, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, following months of Conservative filibustering and obstructionist tactics, the Conservatives proposed over 21,000 amendments to the sustainable jobs act in an attempt to stop workers from getting a seat at the table. When it came to a vote on these amendments, the committee was chaotic. The Conservative members were actually shouting overtop of each other. A handful of the thousands of Conservative amendments were passed by the committee in the chaos.

I encourage the Green Party leader to review the nine amendments that I have put on the Notice Paper which address and rectify this issue now.

[Carbon Pricing, December 12th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, when this government came into power after 10 years of Stephen Harper and the member for Carleton, emissions in this country were projected to go up by 15% versus 2005 levels by 2030.

Last week, we released the emissions reduction plan update for Canada. It shows that we have far exceeded the Harper target. We raised the target. We will achieve the interim objective in 2026. We will achieve the 2030 objective of a 40% reduction.

We have a climate plan that is working. Where is his climate plan?

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 12th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, in 2021-22 and 2022-23, over 110 million trees have been planted towards the federal government’s commitment to plant two billion incremental trees over 10 years.

With regard to (i), no trees planted under the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund have been counted towards this total.

With regard to (ii), 54 million trees planted by provinces and territories via Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund in 2021-22 and in 2022-23. The 2 Billion Trees program was designed to ensure that existing climate change programs that support tree planting are counted towards the Government’s commitment to plant two billion trees, which includes the Low Carbon Economy Fund.

With regard to (iii), over 56 million trees planted via Natural Resources Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program. No other trees planted under other government programs have been counted toward this total to date. In order to be included, trees planted must be incremental to business as usual, and must be reported by proponents with sufficient detail to support verification.

[Climate Change, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, not only is the Conservative Party opposed to addressing affordability in this country and not only is it opposed to fighting climate change, it has a hard time keeping its statements straight.

In 2008, the Conservative Party platform stated, “We will work...to...implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases.”

The 2021 platform, on which all of these members were elected, stated, “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use pricing mechanisms.”

More recently, the member for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, who asked a question here about carbon pricing, sat in Premier Campbell's caucus and voted in—

[Carbon Pricing, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government came to power, after 10 years of Harper and the member for Carleton, we were on track to see a 12% increase in carbon emissions by 2030.

Last week we released the update on the emissions reduction plan, and it was a dramatic turnaround. We will exceed the initial target of 30%, which we then raised to 40%. We will more than achieve the 2026 interim target, and we are on track to achieve the 40% target by 2030. I am very pleased to say that our climate plan is working. Where is the Conservative climate plan?

[Carbon Pricing, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is important that the hon. member stop misleading Canadians. Research coming out of the University of Calgary last week shows that the Conservatives' plan to make pollution free again will only benefit those earning over $250,000 a year and hurt almost everybody else.

The Conservative leader says that he cares about affordability, but last week, in the middle of the night, they voted to cut affordable housing construction, cut the school food program, cut dental care for the most vulnerable and cut affordable child care. Shame, shame, shame.

[Oil and Gas Industry, December 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, today was an important day for the environment and the economy. Canada became the first country to put a cap on oil and gas emissions, with a trajectory to produce net-zero emissions by 2050. I would also say that we released the emissions reduction progress report today. What it shows is that we are well beyond the initial target we had when we were elected, which is 30% reduction; we will more than achieve the 2026 interim milestone, and we are on track to achieve our 40% reduction by 2030.

[Natural Resources, December 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I will start by noting that the importation of oil is at half the level now than it was under Stephen Harper, so maybe he wants to check some of his facts.

A cap on oil and gas production is about reducing emissions in line with what science tells us we must, but doing so in a manner that will enhance the economic competitiveness of the sector while ensuring that we are decarbonizing the industry such that the barrels of oil and natural gas that Canada will sell to the world will have the lowest carbon content in barrels of gas.

I would point to the successes recently of an $11.5-billion Dow facility, a net-zero petrochemical facility in Alberta and many others.

[Carbon Pricing, December 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, eight out of 10 Canadian families actually get more money back. If he would take the time to actually read the study that was published by the University of Calgary recently, he would know that the people who are most vulnerable get far more money back than they actually pay.

Instead of presenting a plan for the economy or for the environment, the Leader of the Opposition spends his spend musing about pulling out of the Paris agreement, joining Nicaragua and Syria. This will do nothing to address the economic future of Canada, nothing for the future of our children in fighting climate change. The climate-denying Conservative Party is not worth the risk.