44th Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 2, 2023441-01613441-01613 (Environment)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCSeptember 19, 2023November 2, 2023May 18, 2023PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADAWhereas:
  • Thermal coal, the kind burned to make electricity, is the world's dirtiest fossil fuel;
  • Thermal coal creates half of the world's carbon emissions and the pollution it creates kills more than 800,000 people every year;
  • The government has a plan to phase out thermal coal exports, but it is outdated and insufficient;
  • The world needs to move rapidly away from thermal coal to have any chance of limiting global warming to the Paris target of 1.5 degrees Celsius;
  • The physical effects of climate change pose serious risks for Canadians, Canada's wildlife and the Canadian economy including permafrost melt, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, floods, sea level rise, increased vector-borne diseases, disruptions to supply chains, destruction of infrastructure and damage to key industries including agriculture and forestry; and
  • Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the Paris Agreement was signed, making it the worst performing of all G7 nations since the 2015 Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
  • 1. Add thermal coal to the Priority Substances List of the Canadian Environment Protection Act (CEPA), and, as soon thereafter as possible, to the Toxic Substances List of CEPA; and
  • 2. Regulate the mining, use, export, and import of thermal coal in Canada in accordance with our international commitments to reduce carbon emissions at home and abroad.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULTPhasing out coal use in our electricity sector is another critical component of Canadian and global efforts to tackle climate change. The clean energy transition will not only cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), it will also protect our air, our water and our health.In December 2018, Canada published regulations to phase out conventional coal-fired electricity by 2030. This is expected to result in cumulative GHG reductions of 94 million tonnes over the 2019 to 2055 period, including 12.8 million tonnes in 2030.At the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, the Canadian Prime Minister stated Canada’s goal of establishing a net-zero emissions electricity grid by 2035. This commitment was reflected in the mandate letter for the Minister of the Environment in December 2021. Achieving that goal will be transformational, and will require multiple measures and all levels of government working together. At the federal level, the new Clean Electricity Standard is being complemented by numerous investment programs for the electricity sector administered by Natural Resources Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Infrastructure Canada, including those announced in Budget 2022. These measures are intended to help ensure that Canada achieves a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system. For further information regarding the development of the Clean Electricity Standard, please see A clean electricity standard in support of a net-zero electricity sector: discussion paperwww.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/achieving-net-zero-emissions-electricity-generation-discussion-paper.htmlThe Government of Canada is also addressing GHG emissions from electricity generation globally. Burning thermal coal is the single largest contributor to climate change globally and a major source of toxic pollution that harms human health. In 2019, Export Development Canada committed to no new financing for international coal-fired power plants, thermal coal mines or dedicated thermal coal-related infrastructure. In May 2021, all G7 countries, following Canada’s leadership, also agreed to take concrete steps to end government investment for unabated thermal coal power generation projects. In the aforementioned mandate letter of December 2021, the Minister of Environment was also mandated to work with the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development to continue Canada’s leadership on the global effort to phase out coal-powered electricity and the mining of thermal coal and ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030.    
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999CoalEnvironmental protectionInternational tradeMining industry
44th Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 19, 2023441-01518441-01518 (Environment)LaurelCollinsVictoriaNDPBCJune 8, 2023July 19, 2023June 2, 2023PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADAWe, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following:WHEREAS:The government has promised to ban the export of thermal coal from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030;The need to act as swiftly as possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of the climate crisis, is clearer than ever with the world likely to breach 1.5 degrees of warming by 2027; andCoal power plants produce more greenhouse gas emissions and subsequent warming than any other single source, and that Canada continues to mine and export thermal coal overseas.THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to put in place a total ban of thermal coal exports by 2024.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULTAt the Conference of the Parties (COP26), the Government of Canada announced its intention to ban thermal coal exports by 2030. This makes Canada the first country in the world to make this commitment to address climate change.Canada has taken action to curb harmful coal emissions. Through the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, the Government has amended the 2012 coal-fired electricity greenhouse gas regulations to accelerate the phase-out of conventional coal-fired electricity in Canada by 2030. The Government of Canada also released a policy statement in June 2021 indicating that the Government considers that future thermal coal mining projects are likely to cause unacceptable environmental effects within federal jurisdiction and are not aligned with Canada’s domestic and international climate change commitments.Before the commitment to ban thermal coal exports was announced, it was forecasted that many thermal coal mines in Canada would stop operating in the lead-up to 2030 since they primarily supplied the domestic electricity market.Canada is also co-leading the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), alongside the United Kingdom. With over 120 members, the PPCA is the world's leading coalition of public and private sector partners seeking to accelerate clean growth and climate protection through the rapid phase-out of unabated coal power. By joining the PPCA, members make a voluntary commitment to accelerate the phase-out of emissions from coal power.Additionally, at the 2023 G7 Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment, Canada, along with G7 countries, renewed calls on non-G7 countries to phase out unabated coal power generation consistent with a 1.5°C compatible future.The Government of Canada is advancing work toward an export ban and intends to engage and seek feedback from key partners and Indigenous peoples soon.   
BanCoalExports
44th Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 20, 2022e-3919e-3919 (Environment)VictorBriceElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCMarch 11, 2022, at 2:50 p.m. (EDT)May 10, 2022, at 2:50 p.m. (EDT)June 13, 2022September 20, 2022May 12, 2022Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:Thermal coal, the kind burned to make electricity, is the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel;Thermal coal creates half of the world’s carbon emissions and the pollution it creates kills more than 800,000 people every year;The government has a plan to phase out thermal coal exports, but it is outdated and insufficient;The world needs to move rapidly away from thermal coal to have any chance of limiting global warming to the Paris target of 1.5 degrees Celsius;The physical effects of climate change pose serious risks for Canadians, Canada’s wildlife and the Canadian economy including permafrost melt, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, floods, sea level rise, increased vector-borne diseases, disruptions to supply chains, destruction of infrastructure and damage to key industries including agriculture and forestry; andCanada’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the Paris Agreement was signed, making it the worst performing of all G7 nations since the 2015 Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Add thermal coal to the Priority Substances List of the Canadian Environment Protection Act (CEPA), and, as soon thereafter as possible, to the Toxic Substances List of CEPA; and2. Regulate the mining, use, export, and import of thermal coal in Canada in accordance with our international commitments to reduce carbon emissions at home and abroad.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULTPhasing out coal use in our electricity sector is another critical component of Canadian and global efforts to tackle climate change. The clean energy transition will not only cut greenhouse gas emissions, it will also protect our air, our water and our health.In December 2018, Canada published regulations to phase out conventional coal-fired electricity by 2030. This is expected to result in cumulative GHG reductions of 94 million tonnes over the 2019 to 2055 period, including 12.8 million tonnes in 2030.At the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Climate Change Conference of the Parties, Prime Minister Trudeau stated Canada’s goal of establishing a net-zero emissions electricity grid by 2035. This commitment was reflected in the mandate letter for the Minister of the Environment in December 2021. Achieving that goal will be transformational, and will require multiple measures and all levels of government working together. At the federal level, the new Clean Electricity Standard is being complemented by numerous investment programs for the electricity sector administered by Natural Resources Canada, ISED and Infrastructure Canada, including those announced in Budget 2022. These measures are intended to help ensure that Canada achieves a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system. For further information regarding the development of the CES, please see A clean electricity standard in support of a net-zero electricity sector.The Government of Canada is also addressing GHG emissions from electricity generation globally. Burning thermal coal is the single largest contributor to climate change globally and a major source of toxic pollution that harms human health. In 2019, Export Development Canada committed to no new financing for international coal-fired power plants, thermal coal mines or dedicated thermal coal-related infrastructure. In May 2021, all G7 countries, following Canada’s leadership, also agreed to take concrete steps to take steps to end government investment for unabated thermal coal power generation projects. In the aforementioned mandate letter of December 2021, the Minister of Environment was also mandated to Work with the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development to continue Canada’s leadership on the global effort to phase out coal-powered electricity and the mining of thermal coal and ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada as swiftly as possible, and no later than 2030. 
Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999CoalEnvironmental protectionInternational tradeMining industry