Madam Speaker, I would like to note that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Halifax.
I rise in the House today to speak to one of the most important issues today—climate change. The decisions we make in the House will have a lasting impact on future generations of Canadians, and people around the world.
Climate change was one of the Prime Minister's top priorities when he was elected. The government is committed to transforming Canada into a more vigorous and resilient low-carbon economy and to positioning Canada as a leader in the fight against climate change.
Our government also promised to help the poorest and most vulnerable countries fight climate change. The year 2015 was pivotal in terms of global action, most notably because of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development adopted in September and all of the work that went into finalizing the Paris agreement in December.
The 2030 agenda is a 15-year global framework that recognizes the social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainable development along with factors related to peace, governance, and justice. The 2030 agenda signals a shift in how the world sees development. It recognizes that issues such as inequality and climate change are important in both developed and developing countries and that we have to work together to address those issues.
On November 27, 2015, at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Malta, the Prime Minister announced that Canada would contribute $2.65 billion over five years to help the poorest and most vulnerable developing countries respond to climate change and adapt to its impacts.
The Paris agreement, adopted on December 12, 2015, is a historic agreement that promotes ambitious action by all countries toward low emissions and a climate-resilient global economy. More than before, the Paris agreement brings to the fore the impacts of climate change on poverty, food security, health, and the ability of people to realize their human rights.
Developed countries have committed to provide resources to assist developing countries to address climate change, and Canada has already stepped forward to help in a number of ways, including $30 million for the least developed countries fund to support adaptation efforts among the poorest and most vulnerable countries; $10 million to the World Meteorological Organization for its work to develop climate risk early warning systems; $50 million in contribution to the achievement of the G7 commitment to enhance access by developing countries to climate risk insurance; $150 million in contributions to the achievement of the G7 commitment to develop renewable energy in Africa; and $300 million to the initial resource mobilization of the green climate fund, a key global facility aimed at mobilizing climate finance in support of the climate efforts of developing countries.
Climate change and the environment are key considerations throughout all of Canada's development programming, and we will continue to work with our development partners to help them adapt and support their transition to low-carbon, resilient economies.
The implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development is a priority for the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, along with the entire government. We are committed to reducing poverty and inequality in the world, in part by refocusing our development assistance to help the poorest, most vulnerable, and fragile states.
During my recent visit to Guatemala, I witnessed how climate change has impacted one of the country's most important lakes, Lake Atitlán, putting the economic livelihoods of thousands of families around its shores at risk.
At the end of August, I also saw the devastating results of an El Niño-related drought in Ethiopia, which is facing its worst food security crisis in decades. Failed rains in much of the country have left an estimated 18.2 million people in need of emergency food assistance. Canada's $125 million productive safety net program, recently approved by our government, is just one of the ways we are helping Ethiopia to improve household food security, nutrition, and economic well-being in the face of climate change.
Canada has much to offer in terms of know-how, expertise, and technology to help the poorest and most vulnerable tackle climate change. The impacts of climate change that I saw in Guatemala and Ethiopia are only two examples of how our world is changing. It is clear that climate change is a global issue. However, it is also intensely local and personal.
At COP21, Canada joined “mission innovation”, a global partnership aimed at doubling government investment into clean energy innovation over five years, while also encouraging private sector leadership in clean energy. Starting in 2017, Canada will provide over $1 billion over four years to support clean technology development in Canada, including in the forestry, fisheries, mining, energy, and agriculture sectors.
We will also be investing $100 million each year to support clean technology producers to promote a clean environment and a strong economy, and an additional $200 million to support innovation. These strategic investments, as part of an ambitious export and trade strategy, will help us tackle climate change while also creating jobs and encouraging growth.
While I spoke about the impacts abroad, we also know that climate change is impacting us right here at home. On August 4, 2014, 190 millimetres of rain, two-months' worth, came down in approximately eight hours on my riding of Burlington. In my riding, roads and highways were flooded, creeks filled with debris, and more than 3,000 homes were damaged. This was a wake-up call. In Burlington, we realized that we are not immune to changing weather patterns.
This past summer, my community found itself facing the opposite: drought. The Niagara Peninsula received between 40% to 60% of its average precipitation this summer. Farmers were calling it the worst season in decades for crops.
This contrast of flooding one year and then drought the next is the local impact that we are beginning to feel. On the two-year anniversary of the Burlington flood, over 200 people came out to my town hall to discuss federal action on climate change. This turnout was unprecedented for a town hall event in Burlington. It demonstrates that Canadians want and need us, as legislators and as leaders, to act on this issue.
This is why I am proud of the Prime Minister's announcement yesterday of our plan to price carbon pollution starting in 2018. Carbon pricing is one of the most effective ways to incentivize Canadians to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Our plan puts in place nation-wide reduction targets that are realistic and achievable while the economy still grows. They go hand in hand.
Pricing carbon is just one of the many ways we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At my town hall, I heard great suggestions from members of my community. Many residents discussed the importance of using systems thinking rather than individual thinking when it comes to climate change action. There are broader structural system changes that can be catalyzed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Where 40% of our emissions are produced by the transportation sector, residents talked about the need to examine whole supply chains to ensure that transit and infrastructure developments are green, resilient, and self-sustainable.
When we talk about the Paris agreement and agenda 2030, we also need to think about local solutions for local needs. At my town hall, residents talked about planting more trees, fewer lawns, and more native plants which are self-sufficient and drought-resistant. This would result in less water use, more carbon capture, and more oxygen in the air.
Residents also spoke of the need to support the reduction and recycling of food and material waste, expanding compost programs and banning plastic bags. These are small but significant measures we can all take.
Burlington residents emphasized that we also need to ensure that environmentalism is affordable for all Canadians. Lower-income Canadians need to be included in this process. Green living should not be an exclusive lifestyle.
My constituents also stressed working with indigenous Canadians to build communities that are resilient to climate change; protecting clean air, water, and land; and building on local knowledge and expertise. Overall, we need to make sure that all Canadians are part of this process.
In my community the message was clear: the federal government has an opportunity to step up and take leadership on this file. It was even suggested that perhaps we start with the renovation of 24 Sussex, and that the construction of all new federal buildings be mandated to meet the principles of the Living Building Challenge or its equivalent.
I know that environmental problems seem insurmountable at times, but there are practical and doable solutions that we can be taking right now, and we must not lose momentum. We can start right now by ratifying the Paris agreement.
I look forward to working on this file with my colleagues in the House.
