Jonathan Wilkinson

[The Environment, October 27th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, it is an important question. CCS technology is an important part of addressing greenhouse gas emissions, not simply from the oil and gas sector but from many industrial sectors across this country. It is part of a broader suite of technology solutions, including hydrogen-related and biofuels-related technologies, that we are focused on as we work forward to ensure that we not only meet but exceed our 2030 targets, to ensure we drive forward with economic progress and jobs while protecting our planet.

[The Environment, October 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would again invite my hon. colleague to actually read the plan. The focus is on ensuring that we are not ending up with plastics in our landfills and plastics in our waters. It is about recycling, enhancing the recycling rate of plastics across the country. It is also about ensuring we are banning the six items that are on the list with respect to those that are harmful to the environment, those for which there are readily available alternatives and those for which recycling is not an available option.

This is really about ensuring we are protecting the environment, but it is also about growing an economy that is based on ensuring we are actually using the materials that are in our economy in a thoughtful way, moving toward circularity in everything we do.

[The Environment, October 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, with 20% of the world's fresh water, including two million lakes and rivers, Canada has a great responsibility to manage its water sustainably and ensure that it will be available for generations to come. The Canada water agency can play a key role in keeping our water safe, clean and resilient to the impacts of climate change.

It is critical that a Canada water agency is developed in close collaboration with the provinces, territories, indigenous peoples, stakeholder organizations and the public. Together, these consultations will help us define the role and the mandate of the Canada water agency, and I look forward to sharing our next steps on this important initiative in the near future.

[Natural Resources, October 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, certainly energy efficiency is a critical piece of moving forward with an effective climate plan. It is also an opportunity for us to think about how we create jobs and economic opportunity for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It is part of a plan that will obviously need to include a focus on renewable energy and how we actually reduce emissions in all sectors across the country. The announcement today by the Prime Minister and Premier Ford with respect to zero-emission vehicle manufacturing is a critical piece of that plan as well. We will be moving forward to address all of those issues.

[Employment, October 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would invite my hon. colleague to actually read the announcement.

The focus of the announcement is a comprehensive approach to addressing the issue of plastic pollution in our environment. We have enormous amounts that go into our landfills and into our rivers, lakes and oceans. We want to focus on enhancing recycling, enhancing recycled content so that we are actually growing a recycling industry in this country that will employ thousands of Canadians.

At the end of the day, it is possible to protect the environment and grow the economy, something Conservatives just do not understand.

[Employment, October 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the Conservatives are aware, our action plan includes a list of six items that are hard to recycle. This policy is very important for the economy and the environment. Recycling offers many economic opportunities while keeping plastic in the economy.

[Employment, October 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware of the consequences of plastic pollution. They are tired of seeing plastic waste littering their parks, streets and shorelines. They want action.

We have adopted a comprehensive approach to get to zero plastic waste by 2030, and we are committed to banning harmful single-use plastics by 2021. We will continue to take action with Canadians so that more plastic stays in our economy and out of our environment.

[The Environment, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly agree that action needs to be taken in the very near term to address the catastrophic effects of climate change.

As the throne speech committed, we will be moving forward in the very near term with an enhanced climate plan that will enable Canada to exceed its 2030 targets. Certainly, methane is an important component of that. As the hon. member likely knows, we put in place regulations with respect to reducing methane emissions a couple of years ago, and those are moving forward. We certainly will need to look at other measures for methane emissions going forward.

[Infrastructure, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how many other ways I can say it. We have not yet received an initial project description on this project. As soon as we do, we will certainly assess it in accordance with the processes that are in place.

[Infrastructure, October 6th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we are firmly committed to ensuring that sustainable projects get built in this country and that they are assessed in a timely, fair and rigorous way.

With respect to this specific project, we have not yet received an initial project description, but as with all projects, if and when we receive it, we will assess it.