:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I am pleased to be here with you today to discuss the 2022‑23 main estimates for Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Parks Canada Agency and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.
[English]
With us today are Paul Halucha, associate deputy minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada; Ron Hallman, president and CEO of the Parks Canada Agency; and Terence Hubbard, president of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, as well as other officials.
I am joining you from Montreal on the traditional territory of the Mohawk and other Haudenosaunee people.
The critical responsibilities under my portfolio are vital to ensuring our environment, economy and people are healthy and thriving. Our success relies on direct and meaningful engagement with indigenous peoples. These aren't just words. I feel very strongly about our relationship with indigenous peoples.
At the same time, strong leadership, broad and inclusive collaboration, and evidence-based decisions informed by traditional knowledge and transparency are all core to delivering on the ambitious goals and priorities that we have set to help ensure a more resilient, equitable and prosperous Canada.
[Translation]
We will begin with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Since we last met, the department’s focus has remained primarily on working with Canadians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants, and adapt to the changing climate while protecting and conserving nature.
[English]
One of the most significant steps forward is the 2030 emissions reduction plan for clean air and a strong economy, which I introduced with the and on March 29, 2022.
The plan provides a credible road map to enable Canada to achieve 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030, and it reflects input from provinces, territories, indigenous peoples, the net-zero advisory body, stakeholders and more than 28,000 interested Canadians.
We've also continued working to ensure our waters are healthy and clean, to strengthen environmental protection, and to provide weather and environmental information that will help Canadians make informed decisions on health and safety.
[Translation]
All of this important work is reflected in the department’s 2022‑23 main estimates, which present approximately $2 billion in total spending. This is a net increase of almost $270 million over the main estimates total expenditures last fiscal year.
The major requests include over $478 million for taking action on clean growth and climate change. This includes more than $20.5 million in grants and over $332 million in contributions.
[English]
These numbers include $2.5 million in grants and more than $291 million in contributions in support of the low-carbon economy fund, which supports projects that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are also over $10 million in grants and $16 million in contributions to support Canada's international climate finance program. This funding helps developing countries in their transition to a sustainable, low-carbon and nature-positive economy.
[Translation]
As you know, Mr. Chair, nature and climate are inextricably linked. This is why we have set a target—to conserve a quarter of lands, inland waters and oceans by 2025 and 30% of each by 2030.
This is why these estimates also include more than $609 million to conserve nature, including almost $76 million in contributions and $289 million in contributions to support the Canada nature fund.
[English]
In addition, Mr. Chair, there are also more than $379 million to prevent and manage pollution. This includes contributions of more than $27 million to support initiatives, such as the Great Lakes action plan and engagement with indigenous partners to establish the Canada water agency.
Plastic pollution also remains a high priority. Public consultations for the proposed single-use plastic prohibition regulations ended this March, and I expect that we will be seeing them come into force soon. There are also almost $282 million toward predicting weather and environmental conditions, plus over $219 million for internal services.
[Translation]
Let's turn to the Parks Canada Agency.
The agency is responsible for protecting Canada's natural and cultural heritage and presenting nationally significant examples. It shares the stories of these treasured places and works with indigenous communities to provide opportunities for them to share their stories, cultures and contributions.
Parks Canada's 2022‑23 main estimates are currently $988 million. This represents a decrease of $140.5 million over last year, primarily due to the reduction in time-limited funding for infrastructure projects at Parks Canada administered places.
That said, the agency is developing a long-term plan for the management and sustainability of its infrastructure. Funding in the main estimates helps Parks Canada deliver its important work at 171 national historic sites, 47 national parks, five national marine conservation areas and one national urban park.
It also supports Parks Canada's commitment to a system of national heritage places that recognizes and honours the historic and contemporary contributions of indigenous peoples, their stories and their cultures, as well as the special relationships indigenous peoples have with ancestral lands and waters.
[English]
It will also support Parks Canada's work with partners to consider new national parks, national marine conservation areas and cultural landscapes, as well as the creation or enhancement of urban parks and ecological corridors. These important measures will contribute to Canada's commitment, as I mentioned earlier, to protect and conserve a quarter of lands, inland waters and oceans in Canada by 2025, and 30% of each by 2030.
Increases in funding support a number of priorities, such as an enhanced nature legacy to respond to the biodiversity crisis and pressures for the sustainable recovery and well-being of Canadians; establishing and managing marine protected areas in support of Canada's new marine conservation targets; enhancing wildfire resilience, prevention and response in Parks Canada-administered protected areas; and the Wood Buffalo National Park world heritage site action plan. We will strengthen the management of the park in collaboration with indigenous partners and address imminent threats to wood bison in Wood Buffalo National Park.
There is also funding for an Inuit impact and benefit agreement for the Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site and advancing archeology and conservation of the wrecks. There will be negotiation with indigenous peoples to implement rights and advance reconciliation while reducing litigation risks, building partnerships and advancing mutual priorities.
There is additional assistance for youth through the youth employment and skills strategy, and a national campaign to promote protection of Canada's heritage places and visitation to Parks Canada-administered places to support a safe and sustainable tourism recovery.
[Translation]
Mr. Chair, let’s turn to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, which is responsible for conducting impact assessments under the Impact Assessment Act, which came into force in August 2019.
The agency continues to complete project assessments under the former Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. Its 2022‑23 main estimates total $80 million. This represents a small increase of $1 million over last year and is primarily due to an increase in operating funds and an increase in the statutory vote for employee benefits programs.
This funding supports the agency's ongoing delivery of high-quality assessments to support government decisions on major projects across the country. This ensures that the agency can deliver what the Impact Assessment Act requires—complete, robust and timely assessments that examine the positive and negative environmental, economic, social, health and gender effects of designated projects.
It will also ensure that the assessments are based on science and indigenous knowledge, protect our rich natural environment, respect the rights of indigenous peoples and support our natural resources sector.
As well, it will support meaningful public and indigenous consultations, including important capacity building funding programs for participants and indigenous peoples.
This year marks the last year of the five-year, $258.6‑million budget that was originally allocated to the newly established agency. Budget 2022 commits to considering the new funding requirements of the agency and of other relevant departments as part of the fall 2022 economic and fiscal update.
Mr. Chair, I will stop here in the hope that this summary provides an overview of the 2022‑23 main estimates.
I would be happy to answer any questions from the members of the committee.
Thank you very much.
:
I strongly disagree with both your statements.
First, it's important to take the time to read the report from the International Energy Agency, presented just before the Glasgow conference, or the report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.
These two international organizations—which are made up of eminent people, it's safe to say—state that, in a scenario of limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C, the planet will consume between 25 million and 35 million barrels of oil per day in 2050.
This is a significant reduction compared with today, when we are consuming approximately 100 million. There will therefore be a lot less oil. According to those two agencies, the oil we will be using at that time will no longer be in the form of commodities, but derivatives. This includes solvents or the production of asphalt, among other things. We will continue to use oil, even in a scenario in which we attempt to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Mr. Simard, you know as well as I do that low-carbon oil is not some fantasy or fabrication.
When I approved the Bay du Nord project, I was speaking to an oil sands company, telling them that a project that produces 10 times more greenhouse gas emissions per barrel, no matter how you calculate it, would not be acceptable in the context of the Canadian plan.
If you want to believe that emitting 10 times more greenhouse gases makes no difference to the atmosphere, then we are not on the same page.
:
Thank you very much, Mr. Duguid.
You are right. The low carbon economy fund, or LCEF, supports projects that help to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, generate green growth, build resilient communities and create good jobs for Canadians. These projects are critical as Canada continues to build a sustainable net-zero emissions economy towards 2050.
The fund is an important part of the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change as well as Canada's strengthened climate plan, which is a healthy environment and a healthy economy.
The LCEF has two envelopes. The first one is the low carbon economy leadership fund, which provides money to provinces and territories that have adopted the framework, so that they can identify emission reduction projects to receive funding.
The second one is the low carbon economy challenge, which provides money to a wide range of recipients, including provinces, territories, businesses, municipalities, and indigenous communities and organizations. Successful applicants will leverage ingenuity across the country to reduce emissions and generate clean growth in support of the framework of Canada's strengthened climate plan.
Thank you for letting me come back to some of the comments that were made. No later than yesterday I was talking to Germany's vice-chancellor, Minister Habeck, who said in no uncertain terms that despite the challenges that Germany is facing right now, they are steadfast in their intention to continue fighting climate change and to move—and even accelerate—Germany's transition to a low-carbon economy.
That's exactly the type of partnership they are looking to Canada for. In fact, the chancellor and vice-chancellor will be in Canada next summer to talk about some of these opportunities in the coming months and years.
Thank you to the witnesses for being with us again. We look forward to meeting often in the future, so thank you.
Now members of the committee have to vote on the estimates. I will go through each vote individually and ask the question of whether the vote shall carry, less the amount voted in interim supply.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
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Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$969,250,762
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
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Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$120,490,444
(Vote 5 agreed to on division)
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
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Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$770,281,713
(Vote 10 agreed to on division)
IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY OF CANADA
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Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$52,587,500
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
IMPACT ASSESSMENT AGENCY OF CANADA
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Vote 5—Grants and contributions..........$21,453,903
(Vote 5 agreed to on division)
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Vote 1—Operating expenditures, grants and contributions..........$622,094,141
(Vote 1 agreed to on division)
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Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$138,130,184
(Vote 5 agreed to on division)
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Vote 10—Payments to the New Parks and Historic Sites Account..........$21,258,071
(Vote 10 agreed to on division)
The Chair: Are we good, Mr. Clerk?
We're good.
Thank you to the members for an interesting discussion. We'll see you on Thursday for the last—I believe it's the last—meeting of our study on fossil fuels. We'll have representatives from the Department of the Environment and the Department of Finance.
The meeting is adjourned.