Environment committee  We are committing to a new NDC, which the government intends to announce this summer.

Environment committee  The minister indicated that our target would be aligned with Canada's nationally determined contribution. Under the Paris Agreement, a country's targets cannot go backwards. They cannot be weakened.

Environment committee  Yes, that is true. Section 11 gives the minister the power to amend the target, but we also have to keep in mind that Canada and the minister will have to respect the Paris Agreement. At the beginning of this bill, there is a requirement that targets be set respecting Canada's international commitments with respect to climate change, which as I said earlier, require countries to make their ambition increasingly ambitious and not less ambitious over time.

Environment committee  No. In the coming months, Canada will introduce a new nationally determined contribution that will reflect the 40% to 45% target.

Environment committee  Yes, I understand that's the question, but the answer is no. It can't go below our NDC, and our NDC is going to change. Our NDC is going to increase—

Environment committee  As Minister Wilkinson explained, the focus of the legislation is on political and public accountability, so there is a legal obligation on the minister of the day to set targets, to develop a plan, to report on progress towards the target and to account for whether the target has been met.

Environment committee  The minister will have very clear obligations, so I would imagine there will be clear legal obligations on the part of the minister. It's important to appreciate that they are different from the ability to enforce a target per se.

Environment committee  Okay.

Environment committee  Under the act, we'll be required, first of all, to formalize the target for 2030, and then to provide a plan to achieve that target. As the minister explained, that plan will include considerable detail and, consistent with existing plans and existing reporting to the UNFCCC, will include, as the member already indicated—and I apologize; I can't remember his name—projected emission reductions in the form of a trajectory from present to 2030 and beyond.

Environment committee  We didn't advise the minister in the way you just described, so we're aware and I can assure you that the minister is aware, first of all, that the Paris Agreement contains commitments for parties to strengthen their NDCs over time, starting in the 2020s. The minister is also aware that there is not just one goal that needs to be achieved in order to achieve the desired outcome of avoiding a temperature increase greater than 1.5°C.

Environment committee  Probably the easiest way to do that would be to reiterate the minister's commitment to share with the committee a table we've developed that identifies all of the reporting obligations that Canada has as a party to the UNFCCC. We provide regular reports to the UNFCCC both about past emissions performance and future projections disaggregated across the various sources that are specified under the UNFCCC.

Environment committee  I do. I was tested beforehand, but I'm happy to make adjustments if—

Environment committee  I will have to get back to you as to whether that is publicly available information. That may be protected by business confidentiality.

Environment committee  I'm not saying that the decision was connected to that. I'm observing that we are below our target, and we are exceeding the performance expected by our international commitment. The decision to issue the exceptions was strictly based on a review of the criteria that are explicitly in the regulation, and whether or not each applicant met the criteria.

Environment committee  Yes. Those unlimited exemptions are public. We would be happy to provide a list.