Environment committee  Before I go through that, we have very recently, just a couple of weeks ago, published with the United Nations our “Second Biennial Report on Climate Change” for Canada.

Environment committee  But we continued, and we still worked on the fish. We have helped MOECC, now our Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to do some of the best fish monitoring in the St. Lawrence River in our area for contaminants, mercury, and those others. We found that the models that were used—and I don't know who to addresses this—to establish and to look at the impacts of these compounds on human beings were using standardized methods.

Environment committee  My second point is that I would really like to commend the scientists and staff at Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada for working hard and diligently and using the best science to bring forward sound judgments for protecting Canada's environment. Next, I'd like to raise four points that reiterate or emphasize those raised by my colleagues, Professor Dayna Scott from York University, and Joe Castrilli and Fe de Leon from the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

Environment committee  How do we do that? How do we examine this? Maybe this committee will look at raising awareness of how climate change is affecting our different ecosystems. How do we manage that? I mean, it's coming. What do we do and how do we help communities deal with those changes that are coming? That is something I will put in the climate change bucket there.

Environment committee  Ultimately, regardless of whatever is deferred to the provinces or other bodies such as the CFIA or the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, if there's trouble, it will roll back up to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada. I've been serving with Mr. Doyle for more than 18 months now. I recognize that the only way we're going to reach these targets and achieve these solutions is through systemic answers.

Environment committee  I have the mandate letter in front of me, and I want to read it because I think it might help in the discussion. As Minister of Environment and Climate Change, your overarching goal will be to take the lead in implementing the government’s plan for a clean environment and a sustainable economy. Your key priority will be to ensure that our government provides national leadership to reduce emissions, combat climate change and price carbon.

Environment committee  If there's a way—and I think this is where this eventually comes to—some of these motions or a coupling together of ideas would be very helpful, but for the environment and climate change committee not to take on some type of climate change assessment.... As we heard from officials just last week, how do you bend the curve? The previous government had a target over there, but the line is pointing up over here.

Environment committee  The consultative parts have been completed. We're waiting with bated breath to hear where Environment and Climate Change Canada landed. The current MMER is underpinned by environmental effects monitoring, so the impact on a particular ecosystem is actually.... At least we are gathering data. There is analysis of that data, and compared to a lot of other sources, there is probably a lot more.

Environment committee  I'd like to start off with a bit of a discussion about some key definitions and what we view as their implications in terms of CEPA implementation. CAPP does agree with Environment and Climate Change Canada's view that the meaning of the term “toxic” under CEPA departs from commonplace understanding. The implication of this difference is that the risk is assessed on the basis of both the intrinsic hazard of a substance and the potential exposure of Canadians and the environment.

Environment committee  Its superior electrical conductivity makes it a critical material for electrification and energy efficiency as the world addresses climate change. Copper does not degrade when recycled. Copper's value provides an incentive for recycling to such an extent that in 2014, the Canadian Electricity Association described copper theft as an issue that is dangerous, expensive, and a threat to reliability.

Environment committee  Where we start getting closer to being capable of measuring specific achievements by our government.... If we get to climate change, then we actually start getting somewhere specific. I recognize that the goals of this legislation, as articulated in section 5, enable that focus. In my line of questioning, I would invite our witnesses to focus specifically on the climate change aspect of this.

Environment committee  I just want to be clear that in the context of the gas tax, there were criteria around clean water, reduction of greenhouse gases, and clean air. I said that the words “climate change” were not overarching in that, but that these elements, under that umbrella, were definitely there, and there were a significant number of projects that fell under each one of those categories.

Environment committee  I'd just like to clarify. What I said was that the fact that climate change was not an overarching factor of the program was a discredit to the previous government.

Environment committee  We have to wrap up our study on protected areas. We're well under way with CEPA. We have some climate change technologies that we need to look at. As we start to assess those, we could maybe start to open up the rest of our plan for the fall and bring this back.

Environment committee  I want to strongly affirm that all of our responses and actions in addressing not only climate change but any environmental challenge have to be based on science. I'd like to go straight to climate finance. I believe, Ms. Métivier, you were lead negotiator in Paris. The Prime Minister made the announcement leading up to the Paris climate change conference that there would be $2.65 billion spent abroad on climate change support for developing and least-developed countries.