43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 20, 2020431-00136431-00136 (Environment)MarkGerretsenKingston and the IslandsLiberalONMarch 9, 2020April 20, 2020February 5, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLEDWe, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to the following: THAT, WHEREAS:
  1. Atmospheric CO2, now above 410 ppm, continues to accelerate.
  2. NASA data show planet Earth is now 1.4° C above 1890-1910 baseline.
  3. 2019 will have the hottest global average temperature in modern history.
  4. Northern latitudes are heating much faster than the global average.
  5. Arctic heating threatens ice cover, permafrost and frozen methane.
  6. ~20% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and trucks.
THEREFORE, your petitioners request the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to increase subsidies for consumer purchases of electric vehicles to $10,000.
Response by the Minister of TransportSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Marc GarneauTransportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada and the Government is committed to taking steps that will put the sector on a more environmentally responsible path.One of the ways the Government of Canada is advancing this goal is by supporting zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption. In January 2019, the Government announced new ZEV sales targets of 10% of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2025, 30% by 2030, and 100% by 2040.To support meeting these targets, Budget 2019 introduced a federal incentive program for eligible ZEVs. This program is intended to encourage ZEV ownership by helping to reduce the higher upfront cost of these vehicles when compared with conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. The incentive levels provided are based on analysis and expert advice received through the Advisory Group on ZEV, which engaged over 160 external experts. The analysis showed that an incentive of up to $5,000 for a ZEV can significantly reduce the purchase price gap and stimulate increased demand.   The program’s results are demonstrating that the incentive is having its intended impact: over 40,000 vehicles have been acquired through this program and ZEV sales since the launch of the program are up 30%, compared with the same period in 2018. As ZEVs are generally cheaper to maintain and operate, Canadians that have participated in the incentive program will reap additional benefit through reduced ownership costs when compared with a conventional vehicle.The Government of Canada supports an approach whereby the purchase price gap is further reduced through incentives offered by other levels of government or the private sector. Indeed, ZEV penetration rates are highest in British Columbia and Quebec, where Canadians can take advantage of both federal and provincial incentives.
Incentives for Zero-Emission VehiclesZero emission vehicles