43rd Parliament291Not answered before dissolutionAugust 15, 2021e-2853e-2853 (Environment)IanFryerDonDaviesVancouver KingswayNDPBCFebruary 18, 2021, at 6:01 p.m. (EDT)April 19, 2021, at 6:01 p.m. (EDT)June 16, 2021April 21, 2021Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:The COVID-19 crisis has revealed that swift emergency action and systemic change in the long-term public interest is both necessary and possible;The United Nations has reported that the destruction of nature is the root cause of present and future global pandemics;The Government of Canada acknowledges that the climate and ecological emergency will contribute to worsening public health crises, including the further spread of infectious diseases;Climate change is rapidly outpacing scientific predictions, and the world is fast approaching tipping points that threaten abrupt and irreversible heating and biodiversity loss;Biodiversity loss and species extinction threaten human food systems;The climate crisis is predicted to lead to catastrophic economic losses and worsening political instability;Citizens’ assemblies are representative, democratic instruments well-suited to overcoming political deadlock and addressing complex problems;Citizens’ assemblies produce evidence-based public judgment, and are not equivalent to other forms of public consultation, such as town halls or referendums, which rely solely on the collection of public opinion;Other G7 countries, such as France and the United Kingdom, have created national citizens’ assemblies on climate policy; andThere exists a pre-qualified vendor of record with the Government of Canada, with expertise in the design and delivery of citizens’ assemblies (MASS LBP).We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to create, and implement the recommendations of, a national citizens' assembly on climate and ecological justice.Climate change and global warmingNational Citizens' Assembly on Climate and Ecological JusticePublic consultation43rd Parliament291Not answered before dissolutionAugust 15, 2021432-01163432-01163 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCJune 18, 2021June 3, 2021PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.Climate change and global warmingGreen economy43rd Parliament289Closed upon dissolutionAugust 15, 2021e-3541e-3541 (Environment)TimTakaroPeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCJuly 7, 2021, at 1:33 p.m. (EDT)November 4, 2021, at 1:33 p.m. (EDT)Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:The International Energy Agency released a special report demonstrating that governments should no longer invest in or construct new fossil energy projects if we’re to avoid catastrophic climate change;The Canada Energy Regulator projects that if Canada meets its commitments to cut more greenhouse gas emissions, the Trans Mountain expansion will not be needed;Due to violations of environmental regulations, construction was stopped in many sections of the project including an order to stop tree cutting and grass mowing across the entire pipeline route;A recent report from the Canada Energy Regulator and the Parliamentary Budget Officer show that in almost all scenarios the Trans Mountain expansion project will not be financially viable;This project does not have the consent of all the First Nations whose lands, territories or other resources would be affected by the Trans Mountain expansion project;The pipeline project puts our health, environment, ecosystems, coastlines, tourism and oceans at risk;The pipeline project enables the expansion of the Alberta oilsands and undermines Canada's climate commitments to the Paris Agreement;The cost of the Trans Mountain expansion project has risen by 70% to $12.6 billion, putting Canadian taxpayers' money, our economy and new jobs creation in renewable energy at risk; andMost other OECD economies are reducing carbon emissions over the past several years while Canada’s emissions continue to grow.We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to immediately stop the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline, as outlined in Motion M-94 and instead invest in a made-in-Canada Green New Deal.Climate change and global warmingGreen economyOil and gasTrans Mountain pipeline43rd Parliament289Closed upon dissolutionAugust 15, 2021e-3398e-3398 (National defence and military operations)CliffordTurnerPaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithGreen PartyBCMay 27, 2021, at 12:28 p.m. (EDT)August 25, 2021, at 12:28 p.m. (EDT)Petition to <Addressee type="5" affiliationId="252987" mp-riding-display="1">the House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:Global conditions which have a critical impact on the sovereignty, security and well-being of all Canadians are changing at an alarming and unprecedented rate as a result of climate change, demographics, advances in technology and other factors; andThe Canadian Armed Forces play a critical role in the preservation and protection of Canada’s interests both domestically and internationally.We, the undersigned, Canadian citizens and residents, call upon the House of Commons to redefine our nation’s defence policy and the functions of our armed forces to prioritize: a. the protection of Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic and elsewhere within our borders; b. meeting United Nations commitments and reasonable participation in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions; and c. properly equipping the military, including with the equipment needed to respond to an expected increase of natural disasters related to climate change, including floods and wildfires, and to assist in the necessary engineering needed for mitigation of climate-related changes to the environment.Canadian Arctic sovereigntyCanadian ForcesClimate change and global warmingMilitary equipment and facilitiesPeacekeeping and peacemaking43rd Parliament223Government response tabledMay 7, 2021e-2962e-2962 (Natural resources and energy)ChrisKeeferJulieDzerowiczDavenportLiberalONNovember 12, 2020, at 5:10 p.m. (EDT)February 10, 2021, at 5:10 p.m. (EDT)March 24, 2021May 7, 2021February 15, 2021Petition to the <Addressee type="2" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons in Parliament assembled</Addressee>Whereas:Canada is a party to the Paris Agreement whose goal is to keep global average temperature below 2°C and has agreed to CO2 emissions reductions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030;The Integovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its four decarbonization pathways calls for an increase in nuclear power by 98-501% to avoid catastrophic climate impacts;Nuclear Energy in Ontario provided 90% of the ultra-low emissions power to remove coal from the grid;Nuclear Energy is the most environmentally friendly form of energy generation requiring a tiny fraction of the mining, processing and infrastructure compared to other sources of energy including renewables due to the energy density of its fuel which contains 1 million times more energy than fossil fuels;Nuclear is the only form of energy that fully accounts for and contains its waste and that all of Canada’s spent nuclear fuel would fit inside 1 hockey rink piled 32 feet high;Canadian Nuclear Energy plays a vital role in the COVID pandemic by producing the majority of the world’s Cobalt-60 in quantities sufficient to sterilize 20 billion masks, gloves or COVID-19 swabs; andNuclear Energy provides high paying jobs to 60,000 Canadians with a 95% made in Canada supply chain.We, the undersigned, Citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to 1. Uphold its commitments under the Paris Agreement by maintaining and expanding its CANDU nuclear reactor fleet in Canada and abroad; and2. Continue to support research and deployment of small modular reactors.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to announcing its enhanced target or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement by the U.S.-led Climate Summit that will take place on April 22-23, 2021.  In December 2020, the Government released a plan to exceed Canada’s current 2030 emission reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels, and lay the foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its current 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target with projected emission reductions of 31% below 2005 levels by 2030.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. Some of these investments have already begun while other measures are being refined through engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians.  Like the Pan-Canadian Framework, this plan is not an endpoint: the transition to a cleaner, more prosperous economy needs to be both an immediate priority and a sustained effort over the years and decades ahead.Key initiatives announced in the plan and subsequently include:
  • Proposing to continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030 rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Creating thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Investing $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 per cent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities;
  • Investing $14.9 billion for public transit projects over the next eight years, including $2.75 billion to support zero-emission public transit and school buses, and $400 million to help build new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails, and pedestrian bridges across Canada, as well as permanent funding of $3 billion per year for a permanent public transit fund beginning in 2026-2027.
  • Continuing to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Investing in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Introduced Canada’s Hydrogen Strategy, which sets out a path for integrating low emitting hydrogen across the Canadian economy;
  • Launched the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan for the development, demonstration and deployment of Small Modular Reactors at home and abroad;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Planting 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests, and announced the Growing Canada’s Forest Commitment as the next step of the Government’s commitment to plant two billion trees;.
On February 23, 2021, the Prime Minister and U.S. President Biden released the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, and launched the U.S.-Canada High Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Ambition. This included a commitment to work together to increase ambition under the Paris Agreement, and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The Government of Canada and the Government of the U.S. are exploring opportunities to align policies and approaches to create jobs and reduce inequality, and enhance adaptation and resilience to climate impacts.In addition, in November 2020 the Government of Canada tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050. To provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, a Net-Zero Advisory Body was established in February 2021. 
Response by the Minister of Natural ResourcesSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mr. Marc G. SerréNuclear energy plays an important role in Canada’s current energy mix and is expected to continue to play a key role in transitioning Canada to a low-carbon future. Electricity generated from nuclear energy is the second largest source of non-emitting electricity in Canada after hydro. It provides approximately 15  ercent of current generation, including 38 percent of electricity generated in New Brunswick, and almost 60 percent in Ontario. The Government of Canada recognized in its enhanced climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, released in December 2020, that nuclear energy has the potential to reduce emissions within Canada and abroad. The sector also delivers a wide array of benefits to Canadians. Nuclear energy contributes $17 billion per year to Canada’s gross domestic product and accounts for approximately 76,000 jobs. More than 200 small- and medium-sized enterprises make up Canada’s nuclear energy supply chain.Canada has successfully developed CANDU reactor technology that has been deployed domestically and exported around the world. Decision-making related to electricity supply is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments. Governments in both Ontario and New Brunswick have chosen to extend the life of their CANDU reactors through refurbishment. The refurbishments in Ontario, at a cost of $26 billion over 10 years, are expected to offset over 40 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.The Government of Canada also promotes the export of CANDU technology. It will support countries interested in using nuclear energy to achieve their climate change and development goals. And the government will help build capacity so that they are prepared to adopt CANDU and other Canadian nuclear technologies.Small modular reactors (SMRs) are part of the next wave of innovation in the nuclear sector. SMRs have the potential to become an affordable, reliable source of non-emitting power that can help Canada reach net-zero emissions by 2050.  In 2018, Natural Resources Canada convened the SMR Roadmap. This was a 10-month stakeholder-driven engagement initiative that brought together provinces and territories, power utilities, industry and other interested parties to explore priorities and challenges related to possible SMR development and deployment in Canada. The Roadmap found that SMRs could provide significant opportunities and benefits for Canada’s economy and environment.Following the recommendations made in the SMR Roadmap, the Government of Canada, along with partners, released Canada’s SMR Action Plan in December 2020. The Action Plan is the result of a pan-Canadian effort that brings together key enablers from across Canada, including the federal government, provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, power utilities, industry, innovators, laboratories, academia, and civil society. Each of these enablers has contributed a chapter to the Action Plan that describes a concrete set of actions they are taking to seize the SMR opportunity for Canada. The Action Plan responds to all 53 recommendations in Canada’s SMR Roadmap and includes voluntary actions that go beyond the SMR Roadmap recommendations. In developing the SMR Action Plan, Natural Resources Canada engaged with over 100 Indigenous communities and representatives, as well as a number of civil society organizations. The Government of Canada chapter in the SMR Action Plan reflects Canada’s ongoing commitment to meaningfully engage on SMRs.The government recognizes that SMR technology, while still in the development phase, has potential applications in electricity generation, resource extraction, and desalination. It can also offer an alternative to diesel in rural and remote communities that choose to explore its potential. The government has pledged to make sure the federal legislative, regulatory, and policy framework is sound and ready for SMR deployment. It will also working with bilateral and multilateral partners to align international engagement and cooperation with Canadian priorities on SMRs. This includes investments in the nuclear sector and in SMR technologies, including $1.2 billion to revitalize Chalk River laboratories, and $20 million to support Terrestrial Energy's Integral Molten Salt Reactor. Most recently, the Government of Canada announced $50.5 million in funding for Moltex Energy Ltd. to support the development of SMR research and technology in New Brunswick. These investments reflect the government’s recognition that it has a role to play in supporting innovation in this emerging sub-sector.Protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment is the government's top priority as it supports the nuclear industry. This includes ensuring that all radioactive waste in Canada is managed safely for generations to come. The Government of Canada has launched a public engagement process to develop a modernized policy for radioactive waste management. It will cover Canada’s existing radioactive waste, as well as potential future wastes, including waste resulting from new technologies like SMRs. The government’s goal is to ensure that Canada has a strong policy framework that continues to reflect international practices in the area of radioactive waste management, the best available science, and the values and principles of Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples. All radioactive waste in Canada is safely managed according to international standards at facilities that are licensed and monitored by Canada’s world-class regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). With respect to nuclear liability, Canada’s regime is modern and adaptable, and the government is currently reviewing the liability limit for power reactors to ensure the limit is appropriate.The Government of Canada, because it prioritizes public safety and environmental protection, has established one of the world’s most stringent and internationally recognized nuclear regulatory systems. The CNSC is positioned in a state of readiness to ensure the effective and safe regulation of SMRs. Any new SMR project will have a thorough and transparent regulatory review and consultation process led by the CNSC. Projects will only receive approval if the commission concludes that they are safe for people and the environment, both today and in the future.The pathway to net-zero by 2050 is the challenge of this generation. To be successful, the government has to consider all options. The International Energy Agency, in its 2019 report Nuclear Power in a Clean Energy System, found that removing nuclear energy from the equation would not only increase the risk of failure to meet climate targets, but would also result in higher electricity prices for consumers. According to the report, it would cost an estimated US$1.6 trillion more to achieve global climate targets without investments in nuclear energy. The government takes these recommendations seriously and believes all low-carbon technologies should be evaluated and allowed to compete on their merits.
Climate change and global warmingNuclear energyNuclear reactors
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 26, 2021432-00657432-00657 (Environment)KristinaMichaudAvignon—La Mitis—Matane—MatapédiaBloc QuébécoisQCMarch 11, 2021April 26, 2021February 5, 2021PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADAWhereas:
  • Canada's current climate policies are clearly insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C and put us rather on path somewhere between 3 and 4 °C that will result in disastrous consequences, and that Canada is amongst the countries most responsible for global warming;
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Quebec, call upon the Government of Canada to do its fair share to bring about climate justice by:
  • announcing the establishment of a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target consistent with climate science and aiming to reduce emissions by at least 45% by 2030 (from 2010 levels);
  • mobilizing at least 4 billion dollars annually, from 2020 onwards, to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in countries of the Global South - where live the populations that are most impacted by climate change despite having emitted the lowest amount of greenhouse gas emissions;
  • supporting more effectively the leadership of women, and indigenous women in particular, through applying a feminist approach to the financing plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation;
  • integrating, in future climate policies, the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right to free, prior and informed consent in relation to the exploitation of resources located on their lands or territories in Canada and abroad.
Response by the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina GouldMobilizing at least 4 billion dollars annually, from 2020 onwards, to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in countries of the Global South - where live the populations that are most impacted by climate change despite having emitted the lowest amount of greenhouse gas emissions;The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous loss and uncertainty around the world, but among the hardships and challenges there is also a key lesson. The pandemic has reminded us of what we can accomplish when we all work together toward a common goal. This is a lesson that can be applied to the fight against climate change, which remains one of the greatest challenges of our time.The global pandemic has created an opportunity to rebuild better. That means creating an economy and a society that is stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient than before.Canada is committed to increasing ambition on climate action – at home and abroad.Canada is fully committed to the goal of exceeding its Paris Agreement target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Canada is also committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.At the global level, the Government of Canada recognizes that many cannot implement the measures required to face the global climate crisis without help. That is why Canada remains firmly committed to the collective goal of mobilizing US$100 billion in climate finance annually in 2020 and beyond.In 2015, Canada announced that it would deliver $2.65 billion over five years in climate finance to help developing countries—particularly the poorest and most vulnerable—transition to low-carbon, sustainable and resilient economies. This commitment has not wavered in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it has become even more critical in the face of the social, economic, and environmental impacts that are being felt on a global scale.Looking ahead, and in recovering from the pandemic, there are far-reaching opportunities to rebuild better by accelerating the transition to clean, affordable, and secure energy and reorienting business and finance toward sustainable, nature-positive development.In preparing for its next phase of its international climate finance commitment, the Government of Canada consulted widely with stakeholders in Canada and abroad, including those in the Global South. In virtually every consultation event, stakeholders made the connection between international climate finance and the COVID-19 recovery, which risk reversing development gains and increasing inequality. This acutely affects specific sectors and segments of societies, challenging sustainable livelihoods for those in the Global South and elsewhere.Furthermore, COVID-19 is placing pressure on developing countries, threatening to derail their progress in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (target greenhouse gas reductions) and national climate action priorities.For these reasons, Canada’s next phase on international climate finance will reflect the role that climate finance should play in a green and equitable recovery and will drive Canada’s leadership on international climate finance.Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to be a global leader in addressing climate change with ambitious domestic and international action. Canada will continue to play a leadership role in supporting developing countries to address climate change, delivering on its commitments under the Paris Agreement, and encouraging innovative approaches to financing sustainable development to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries.Supporting more effectively the leadership of women, and Indigenous women in particular, through applying a feminist approach to the financing plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation;The Government of Canada recognizes that in developing countries, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change, while at the same time, their experience, knowledge and leadership are essential to addressing these challenges. Environment and climate action is therefore most effective when women and girls play an active role as powerful agents of change to advance action on climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns. This inclusive approach helps deliver informed solutions that also mitigate some of the threats to women’s and girls’ health, safety, economic well-being, and social inequalities associated with climate change.Gender equality is a priority in Canada’s climate change programming. The Feminist International Assistance Policy is pursuing gender-responsive climate action, which recognizes that environment and climate action is most effective when women and girls play an active role.Canada is committed to supporting women’s leadership and decision-making in climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. This means that, if the objectives of the Paris Agreement are to be met, more needs to be done, and done in a way that is informed by the voices of girls and women.To overcome chronic gaps in equitable and fair climate change adaptation, one needs to start with those who are most affected: the poorest and most vulnerable, women and girls. At the local level, this means including women and girls in both the design and implementation of climate projects, and addressing the problems they face head-on. An example of this is Canada’s contribution of $20 million to support the transformation of the market for cook stoves and clean energy in Haiti. Transitioning from wood and charcoal fuel to clean energy cook stoves will help reduce the amount of time that women and girls spend on household work, reduce indoor air pollution to the benefit of the health of women and girls, and reduce outdoor pollution to contribute to a healthier climate.For equitable and fair climate change adaptation finance, one must approach investments with a gender lens. Canada’s goals have led to finding ways to integrate gender equality considerations into both its loan and grant projects – for example, using interest rate rebates to incentivize the hiring of women into non-traditional sectors. Canada believes it is essential to support a broad and inclusive representation of women, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups in international environment-related negotiations to develop strong, diverse, inclusive partnerships and solutions. The Government of Canada knows that women and Indigenous Peoples are on the front line of the battle to fight climate change. Ensuring Canada’s programming responds to their needs, both in terms of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and in terms of adapting to the realities of a changing climate, will be a guiding principle moving forward. Additionally, the government recognizes the important role that nature plays in absorbing carbon, and incorporating nature-based solutions into future work will be key. Working with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and women’s rights advocates will help build lasting solutions to the climate crisis.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Jonathan WilkinsonIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed announcing its enhanced target or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement by the U.S.-led Climate Summit that will take place on April 22-23, 2021.In December 2020, the Government released a plan to exceed Canada’s current 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels, and lay the foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its current 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target with projected emission reductions of 31% below 2005 levels by 2030.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. Some of these investments have already begun while other measures are being refined through engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Like the Pan-Canadian Framework, this plan is not an endpoint: the transition to a cleaner, more prosperous economy needs to be both an immediate priority and a sustained effort over the years and decades ahead.Key initiatives announced in the plan and subsequently include:
  • Proposing to continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Creating thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings, including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Investing $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 per cent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities;
  • Investing $14.9 billion for public transit projects over the next eight years, including $2.75 billion to support zero-emission public transit and school buses, and $400 million to help build new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails, and pedestrian bridges across Canada, as well as permanent funding of $3 billion per year for a permanent public transit fund beginning in 2026-2027;
  • Continuing to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Investing in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Introduced Canada’s Hydrogen Strategy, which sets out a path for integrating low emitting hydrogen across the Canadian economy;
  • Launched the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Action Plan for the development, demonstration and deployment of Small Modular Reactors at home and abroad;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Planting 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years, as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests, and announced the Growing Canada’s Forest Commitment as the next step of the Government’s commitment to plant two billion trees.
On February 23, 2021, the Prime Minister and U.S. President Biden released the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, and launched the U.S.-Canada High Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Ambition. This included a commitment to work together to increase ambition under the Paris Agreement, and to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The Government of Canada and the Government of the U.S. are exploring opportunities to align policies and approaches to create jobs and reduce inequality, and enhance adaptation and resilience to climate impacts.In addition, in November 2020 the Government of Canada tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050. To provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, a Net-Zero Advisory Body was established in February 2021.The Government of Canada supports without qualification the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent. To formalize this commitment, the government has recently tabled legislation in support of the Declaration (Bill C-15 - United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act).The government is already building the principles of the UN Declaration into new climate legislation. For example, the proposed Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (Bill C-12) stipulates that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change must provide Indigenous Peoples of Canada with the opportunity to make submissions when setting or amending a national greenhouse gas emissions target or an emissions reduction plan under this legislation.
Climate change and global warmingIndigenous rightsInternational development and aidWomen
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 12, 2021432-00559432-00559 (Environment)MatthewGreenHamilton CentreNDPONFebruary 25, 2021April 12, 2021February 28, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, key initiatives included:
  • Proposing to continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Creating thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings, including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Investing $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities;
  • Building on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Developing a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continuing to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Investing in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Planting 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years, as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050. To provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, a Net-Zero Advisory Body was established in February 2021.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented, with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in Spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy, including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs, from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html.  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00356432-00356 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00357432-00357 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00358432-00358 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00359432-00359 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00355432-00355 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00354432-00354 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00353432-00353 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00352432-00352 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 17, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00351432-00351 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00350432-00350 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00349432-00349 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021January 20, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00348432-00348 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021January 22, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00347432-00347 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021January 22, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00346432-00346 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00345432-00345 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00344432-00344 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00343432-00343 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00342432-00342 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00341432-00341 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00340432-00340 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 13, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00339432-00339 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021February 28, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021432-00338432-00338 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCDecember 4, 2020January 25, 2021October 7, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous Peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels, with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time, we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html. 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJanuary 25, 2021e-2712e-2712 (Environment)KarriMunn-VennNathanielErskine-SmithBeaches—East YorkLiberalONJuly 8, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT)October 6, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT)November 5, 2020January 25, 2021October 7, 2020Petition to the <Addressee type="6" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:We are called as people of faith to love and care for creation;Canadian churches and faith-based organizations have united under the banner "For the Love of Creation";The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives and exacerbated existing vulnerabilities;Respecting the interconnectedness of creation is critical for climate action, ecological and economic integrity, right relations with Indigenous Peoples, and for holistic recovery;The shift in human behaviour resulted in modest, but unsustainable, emissions reductions and demonstrated the scientific imperative of systems change to limit warming; andWe can build back better.We, the undersigned, residents of Canada and members of Canadian faith communities,, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Commit to reducing Canadian GHG emissions by 60 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, while investing in a just transition to a fair, inclusive, green economy that creates good secure jobs, and promotes the well-being of everyone in Canada;2. Honour the rights of Indigenous peoples by animating the principle of free, prior and informed consent, particularly in the context of climate policy, energy policy, and infrastructure development, key to a robust and functioning right of free prior and informed consent is legislative implementation of the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;3. Commit equal support for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the Global South through international climate financing mechanisms, with additional funding for loss and damage, scaling up to a fair share contribution of at least $4 billion USD per year;4. Respond to the pandemic in the Global South through multilateral debt cancellation and increased grant-based support for Canadian international NGOs.
Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable David LamettiOn December 3, 2020, the Government introduced Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is an important step along our collective journey of reconciliation. The key purpose of this initiative is to create a legislated framework for advancing self-determination, self-government, inclusion, economic participation, and equality for Indigenous peoples through the alignment of federal laws and policies with the UN Declaration over time. Over the last few months, the Government has used former Private Member’s Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as the basis for discussion with Indigenous Peoples through distinctions-based virtual engagement sessions across Canada. The Government has also had dialogue with provincial and territorial governments and industry sectors on what the proposed legislation would and would not do.If passed, the proposed UN Declaration legislation would require the federal government to collaborate on the development of an action plan with Indigenous peoples, and begin work to align federal laws and policies with the UN Declaration in a manner that more fully respects, protects, promotes and implements their rights, through collaborative processes, approaches and mechanisms, including free prior and informed consent. The approach proposed in the legislation commits the federal government to look for opportunities, together with Indigenous peoples, to uphold the rights included in the UN Declaration. As the Principles Respecting the Government of Canada’s Relationship with Indigenous Peoples note, free prior and informed consent builds on and goes beyond the legal duty to consult. To this end, the Government of Canada will continue to look for opportunities to build processes and approaches aimed at securing consent, as well as creative and innovative mechanisms that will help build deeper collaboration, consensus and new ways of working with Indigenous peoples when making decisions that impact their rights and interests. 
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissionsby 2050.To ensure Canada has a solid foundation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, the Government has announced a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is Canada’s strengthened climate plan of federal policies, programs and investments to build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient and inclusive economy. This plan builds on the important accomplishments of and work underway with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners under the 2016 Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.The Pan Canadian Framework has done more to cut pollution in a practical and affordable way than any other climate plan in Canada’s history. Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030. Taken together with A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, Canada will exceed its 2030 greenhouse-gas-reduction target—making it the first time ever this country has set a climate target and outlined a path to not only meet it but exceed it.A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy outlines 64 new and strengthened federal climate measures and $15 billion in new investments. While some of these investments will begin immediately, other measures require engagement with provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, stakeholders, and with Canadians. Over the next few months, the Government of Canada will work with partners to ensure a strong, workable plan that can be delivered together.As part of its plan, the Government of Canada will:
  • Continue to put a price on pollution through to 2030, rising at $15 per tonne after 2022, while returning the proceeds back to households such that the majority receive more money back than they pay in provinces where the federal system applies;
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings, including an investment of $2.6 billion over seven years to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Invest $1.5 billion over three years for green and inclusive community buildings, and require that at least 10 percent of this funding be allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres;
  • Build on historic investments in public transit in the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to develop next steps on public transit, including the government’s plan to help electrify public transit systems, and provide permanent public transit funding;
  • Develop a national active transportation strategy, and explore ways to deliver more active transportation options;
  • Continue to make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable by extending the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program until March 2022, while investing an additional $150 million over three years in more charging stations across the country;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies; and,
  • Plant 2 billion incremental trees over the next 10 years, as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
In addition, the Government of Canada also recently tabled the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, which delivers on the government’s commitment to legislate Canada’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Once the bill becomes law, it will establish a legally binding process for the Government to set five-year emissions reduction targets based on the advice of experts and Canadians to ensure transparency and accountability as Canada charts a path to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act also requires emissions reduction plans for each target and the publication of interim and final reports on implementation of the plans and the emissions reductions they achieve, as well as periodic examination and reporting by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on the implementation of these mitigation measures. The Act will also establish a Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide independent advice to the Government on the best pathways to reach its targets, and also enshrine greater accountability and public transparency into Canada’s plan for meeting net-zero emissions by 2050.The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on the recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, in 2016 the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The economic impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented with millions of jobs lost at the height of the lockdown in spring 2020, continued hardships throughout the year, and an unequal distribution of who feels these impacts more deeply. The Government of Canada is committed to helping Canada build back a better and more resilient economy including by creating over 1 million jobs to bring employment back to pre-pandemic levels with climate action and clean growth serving as a cornerstone for these efforts. This includes a variety of measures in our strengthened climate plan that will help create jobs from retrofitting homes and buildings, to building the infrastructure needed for clean transportation across the country, to helping clean technology firms grow.At the same time we know that achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers. Climate action and clean growth is a cornerstone of this commitment, and that Canadians must be at the center of our climate policies, which is why we need to support workers and communities affected by the transition to a low carbon economy. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, we established a Just Transition Task Force in 2018 to provide advice on how to make the transition away from traditional coal-fired electricity fair to those affected. In response to the Task Force’s recommendations, Budget 2019 proposed that we:
  • Create worker transition centres that will offer skills development initiatives and diversification activities in western and eastern Canada.
  • Work with those affected to explore new ways to protect wages and pensions.
  • Establish a $150 million infrastructure fund to support priority projects and economic diversification in impacted communities.
Adding to these efforts, the Government of Canada is working to prepare the workforce for a decarbonized economy by identifying skills that are in demand now and in the future, developing new approaches to skills development, and providing new opportunities for Canadian workers. The Future Skills program (led by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides an opportunity to support the deep transformations that will be required across a range of economic sectors in order to meet our climate change targets, and provide new opportunities for Canadian workers. Learn more about Future Skills at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/future-skills.html.   
Response by the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina Gould3. Commit equal support for climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the Global South through international climate financing mechanisms, with additional funding for loss and damage, scaling up to a fair share contribution of at least $4 billion USD per year.The COVID-19 pandemic has created tremendous loss and uncertainty around the world, but among the hardships and challenges there is also a key lesson. The pandemic has reminded us of what we can accomplish when we all work together toward a common goal. This is a lesson that can be applied to the fight against climate change, which remains one of the greatest challenges of our time.The global pandemic has created an opportunity -- an opportunity to build back better. That means creating an economy and a society that is stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient than before.Canada is committed to increasing ambition on climate action – at home and abroad.Canada is fully committed to the goal of exceeding its Paris Agreement target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Canada is also committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.At the global level, the Government of Canada recognizes that many cannot implement the measures required to face the global climate crisis without help. That is why Canada remains firmly committed to the collective goal of mobilizing US$100 billion in climate finance annually in 2020 and beyond.In 2015, Canada announced that it would deliver $2.65 billion over five years in climate finance to help developing countries—particularly the poorest and most vulnerable—transition to low-carbon, sustainable and resilient economies. This commitment has not wavered in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it has become even more critical in the face of the social, economic, and environmental impacts that are being felt on a global scale.Looking ahead, and in recovering from the pandemic, there are far-reaching opportunities to build back better by accelerating the transition to clean, affordable, and secure energy and reorienting business and finance toward sustainable, nature-positive development.As it develops its international climate finance commitment for post-2020, the Government of Canada consulted widely with stakeholders in Canada and abroad, including those in the Global South. In virtually every consultation event, stakeholders made the connection between international climate finance and the COVID-19 recovery, which risk reversing development gains and increasing inequality. This acutely affects specific sectors and segments of societies, challenging sustainable livelihoods for those in the Global South and elsewhere.Furthermore, COVID-19 is placing pressure on developing countries, threatening to derail their progress in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (target greenhouse gas reductions) and national climate action priorities.For these reasons, Canada’s next phase on international climate finance will reflect the role that climate finance should play in a green and equitable recovery. The parameters that the government sets for international climate finance, including its loan/grant mix, funding ambition, and mitigation/adaptation mix, will drive Canada’s leadership on international climate finance.Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to be a global leader in addressing climate change with ambitious domestic and international action. Canada will continue to play a leadership role in supporting developing countries to address climate change, delivering on its commitments under the Paris Agreement, and encouraging innovative approaches to financing sustainable development to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries.4. Respond to the pandemic in the Global South through multilateral debt cancellation and increased grant-based support for Canadian international NGOs. Canada’s approach and response to the pandemicCanada knows that this global crisis will likely exacerbate inequalities and reverse development gains, in particular for women and children who already experience poverty, exclusion and marginalization more acutely. In line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, Canada’s response includes a particular focus on the world’s poorest and most marginalized, and considers the differentiated needs of women and girls.Since February 11, 2020, the Government of Canada has announced commitments of approximately $1.1 billion in direct support to the global response to COVID-19. Canada has also made an additional $1 billion available for IMF loans related to COVID-19.Canada recognizes that COVID-19 poses a unique and truly global challenge, and that it is in our common interest to work together to defeat it. This means bringing together the world’s best minds to find the vaccines, treatments and therapies we need to make our world healthy again, while strengthening the health systems that will make them available for all.The international response and Canada’s efforts must also reinforce ongoing essential life-saving global health and humanitarian programs addressing other key crises and situations, and in particular programs aimed at women, children, adolescents and vulnerable populations, which too often are the first to be de-prioritized in light of other pressures.Canada is working to ensure that international partners can maintain their services for vulnerable populations where possible, including support for sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and child health, food security and nutrition, education, the provision of humanitarian assistance, and programs aimed at combating gender-based violence.Canada will continue to look for opportunities to leverage innovation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by encouraging traditional partners to use creative solutions, and by working with new partners to drive innovative approaches. This is particularly the case regarding medical counter-measures, where significant new developments in diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines are providing hope about containing and then ending the pandemic.Debt CancellationCanada is implementing the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) with G20 members and the Paris Club. To date, the DSSI has provided nearly USD $6 billion in debt service relief to the poorest countries. This relief has been extended through June 2021.Canada was also pleased to endorse the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment Beyond the DSSI (Common Framework) to address unsustainable debt challenges faced by some of the poorest countries. This marks the first time the G20 has committed to coordinated debt relief with the Paris Club and other willing creditors. The Common Framework is a significant step forward in creditor coordination and is expected to provide meaningful debt relief for the poorest countries.
Response by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of FinanceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Chrystia Freeland4. Respond to the pandemic in the Global South through multilateral debt cancellation and increased grant-based support for Canadian international NGOs.The pandemic has caused social and economic distress throughout the globe but it has acutely affected low- and middle-income countries. Canada is leading international coordination and cooperative efforts to provide equitable access to vaccinations, support global economic stability and help foster an inclusive recovery, including through Canada’s participation to the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).Canada has been advocating for international financial institutions to use all their instruments to the fullest extent possible as part of a coordinated global response. As part of the G20 Action Plan Progress Report, multilateral development banks have committed to provide net positive financial flows to the poorest countries over the suspension period of the DSSI. G20 and Paris Club countries have provided an estimated US$5.7 billion in temporary debt payment relief to some of the world’s poorest countries through the DSSI. Of this, Canada has provided over $40 million in debt payment relief. Given the scale of the COVID-19 crisis, the G20 and Paris Club countries have also recognized that debt treatments beyond the DSSI may be required on a case-by-case basis. In this context, Canada welcomed and endorsed the G20 "Common Framework for Debt Treatments beyond the DSSI", as an important opportunity to bring non-traditional bilateral and private sector lenders into debt restructuring Club processes.
Climate change and global warmingIndigenous rightsInternational development and aid
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 11, 2020432-00174432-00174 (Foreign affairs)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCOctober 28, 2020December 11, 2020September 16, 2020Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembledWhereas:
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that climate change will increase existing inequalities and vulnerabilities between men and women;
  • Developing countries are already bearing up to 80% of the cost of climate change, including through food insecurity, loss and damage, compromised livelihoods and instability;
  • Without urgent action, climate impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030;
  • Developed country parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have agreed to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change, and for those resources to be balanced between adaptation and mitigation;
  • Although investments in climate change adaptation are critical to promote gender equality, inclusive economic growth and social stability, and can unlock trillions of dollars in savings, they currently make up less than 20% of international climate finance;
  • Less than 35% of Canada's international climate finance investments support adaptation projects, and only 0.2% includes gender equality as a principal objective; and
  • The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in April 2019 called upon the Government of Canada to increase the proportion of its climate finance funding that is dedicated to adaptation measures to 50%.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Commit at least 50% of Canada's public climate finance for developing countries towards adaptation, and at least 15% towards projects that target gender equality as a primary objective.
the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina GouldClimate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today, affecting every country, community and individual. Developing countries are the most affected by climate change and its impacts, and least able to afford its consequences. Their vulnerability is due to multiple factors that can limit their ability to prevent and respond to the impacts of climate change, and as a result, climate change has the potential to reverse significant development gains made in these countries. In developing countries, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change, while at the same time, their experience, knowledge and leadership are essential to addressing these challenges. Environment and climate action is therefore most effective when women and girls play an active role as powerful agents of change to advance action on climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns. This inclusive approach helps deliver informed solutions that also mitigate some of the threats to women’s and girls’ health, safety, economic well-being, and social inequalities associated with climate change. In March 2015, United Nations member states, including Canada, agreed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Climate Action goal – SDG 13 – calls on the international community to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. To achieve SDG 13, all countries need to accelerate and intensify their actions and investments on climate change. In December 2015, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement. In support of the Paris Agreement, the Prime Minister announced in 2015 that Canada would provide $2.65 billion over five years to help developing countries tackle climate change. Canada is delivering on this climate finance pledge as part of the commitment to supporting the poorest and most vulnerable populations affected by climate change. Canada also continues to work closely with other donors towards the joint goal to mobilize US$100 billion per year by 2020. Canada’s climate finance is helping developing countries transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through:
  • initiatives that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with developing countries’ needs and plans
  • adaptation action, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable, including women and girls
  • mobilizing new private sector capital for climate action in developing countries.
 In 2018, Canada was President of the Group of Seven (G7) and played a leadership role on climate change by placing it high on the G7 agenda and ensuring an inclusive approach that addressed gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Canada has been particularly active in supporting climate-smart agriculture, and increased access to green energy – both of which are especially important to women and girls. The Government of Canada recognizes that adaptation measures are essential for developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, to enable them to build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Canada’s continued efforts to scale up adaptation measures are in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Adaptation and gender equality will also be key elements of Canada’s future climate finance. The government also recognizes the importance of mitigation investments for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, directly addressing the cause of climate change, and therefore reducing support needed for adaptation in the long run. Canada continues to invest in initiatives and approaches to help mobilize the private sector investment that is essential for addressing the SDG and Climate Action financing gaps. By supporting an appropriate balance of adaptation and mitigation investments, the Government of Canada is ensuring that it responds to developing country priorities in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Climate change and global warmingInternational development and aidSexual discrimination
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledDecember 4, 2020e-2794e-2794 (Taxation)EricStarkPaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithGreen PartyBCAugust 14, 2020, at 3:04 p.m. (EDT)October 13, 2020, at 3:04 p.m. (EDT)October 21, 2020December 4, 2020October 15, 2020Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:We must remain below the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold to prevent catastrophic climate change;Canada's current climate targets were set by the Harper government in 2015. They constitute approximately half of what must be done to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius, as required under the Paris Agreement;Climate Action Tracker, an independent international think tank, considers Canada’s projected emission levels for 2030 as “highly insufficient”;As part of an integrated approach to address the climate crisis, economists agree that a steady increase in carbon pricing can be an effective way to transition to a low carbon economy;The federal government scheduled an incremental increase to carbon pricing at $10 per tonne per year. This will end in 2022;Canada's Ecofiscal Commission recommends an increase of $20 per tonne per year, past 2022 just to meet these “highly insufficient” emission reduction targets set by the Harper government;Carbon price rebates give almost all Canadians, except for the top 20% of income earners, a net financial benefit.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Update Canada's climate action targets to reflect science and the IPCC 2018 report;2. Begin to implement carbon price increases at $25 per tonne per year past 2022;3. Establish a panel of experts to review the yearly carbon price increments and ensure that they meet Canada's climate action targets; and4. Ensure Canadians become fully aware of the carbon price rebates through regularly issued cheques or direct bank deposits.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONThe Government of Canada has a plan to fight climate change, drive clean economic growth, and build resilience to a changing climate. This plan includes pricing carbon pollution as a foundational pillar.Pricing carbon pollution is the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A well-designed price on carbon pollution provides an incentive for climate action and clean innovation, while also protecting competiveness and preventing carbon leakage. The Pan-Canadian Approach to Pricing Carbon Pollution, released in October 2016, gives provinces and territories the flexibility to implement carbon pricing systems tailored to their jurisdiction’s unique needs and circumstances, as long as they meet minimum stringency criteria. The federal carbon pollution pricing system applies in any jurisdiction that requests it or that does not implement its own system that meets federal stringency requirements.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will bring forward a plan to exceed Canada’s 2030 climate goal. As part of its plan, the Government will:
  • Create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings, cutting energy costs for Canadian families and businesses;
  • Help deliver more transit and active transit options;
  • Make zero-emissions vehicles more affordable while investing in more charging stations across the country;
  • Set legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appoint a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Support investments in renewable energy and next-generation clean energy and technology solutions;
  • Work with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Invest in reducing the impact of climate-related disasters like floods and wildfires to make communities safer and more resilient;
  • Complete all flood maps in Canada; and,
  • Plant two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests.
The Government of Canada has committed to report back on our progress. The Minister of the Environment will report annually to Parliament on the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. As committed under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, we will also review the overall approach to pricing carbon pollution by early 2022 to confirm the path forward, with an interim report in 2020. These review processes will include consideration of the carbon price trajectory after 2022.  
Carbon pricingCarbon taxClimate change and global warmingReview panelsTax refunds
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 18, 2020432-00069432-00069 (Foreign affairs)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCOctober 5, 2020November 18, 2020September 16, 2020Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembledWhereas:
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that climate change will increase existing inequalities and vulnerabilities between men and women;
  • Developing countries are already bearing up to 80% of the cost of climate change, including through food insecurity, loss and damage, compromised livelihoods and instability;
  • Without urgent action, climate impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030;
  • Developed country parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have agreed to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change, and for those resources to be balanced between adaptation and mitigation;
  • Although investments in climate change adaptation are critical to promote gender equality, inclusive economic growth and social stability, and can unlock trillions of dollars in savings, they currently make up less than 20% of international climate finance;
  • Less than 35% of Canada's international climate finance investments support adaptation projects, and only 0.2% includes gender equality as a principal objective; and
  • The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in April 2019 called upon the Government of Canada to increase the proportion of its climate finance funding that is dedicated to adaptation measures to 50%.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Commit at least 50% of Canada's public climate finance for developing countries towards adaptation, and at least 15% towards projects that target gender equality as a primary objective.
Response by the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina GouldClimate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today, affecting every country, community and individual. Developing countries are the most affected by climate change and its impacts, and least able to afford its consequences. Their vulnerability is due to multiple factors that can limit their ability to prevent and respond to the impacts of climate change, and as a result, climate change has the potential to reverse significant development gains made in these countries. In developing countries, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change, while at the same time, their experience, knowledge and leadership are essential to addressing these challenges. Environment and climate action is therefore most effective when women and girls play an active role as powerful agents of change to advance action on climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns. This inclusive approach helps deliver informed solutions that also mitigate some of the threats to women’s and girls’ health, safety, economic well-being, and social inequalities associated with climate change. In March 2015, United Nations member states, including Canada, agreed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Climate Action goal – SDG 13 – calls on the international community to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. To achieve SDG 13, all countries need to accelerate and intensify their actions and investments on climate change. In December 2015, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement. In support of the Paris Agreement, the Prime Minister announced in 2015 that Canada would provide $2.65 billion over five years to help developing countries tackle climate change. Canada is delivering on this climate finance pledge as part of the commitment to supporting the poorest and most vulnerable populations affected by climate change. Canada also continues to work closely with other donors towards the joint goal to mobilize US$100 billion per year by 2020. Canada’s climate finance is helping developing countries transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through:
  • initiatives that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with developing countries’ needs and plans
  • adaptation action, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable, including women and girls
  • mobilizing new private sector capital for climate action in developing countries.
 In 2018, Canada was President of the Group of Seven (G7) and played a leadership role on climate change by placing it high on the G7 agenda and ensuring an inclusive approach that addressed gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Canada has been particularly active in supporting climate-smart agriculture, and increased access to green energy – both of which are especially important to women and girls. The Government of Canada recognizes that adaptation measures are essential for developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, to enable them to build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Canada’s continued efforts to scale up adaptation measures are in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Adaptation and gender equality will also be key elements of Canada’s future climate finance. The government also recognizes the importance of mitigation investments for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, directly addressing the cause of climate change, and therefore reducing support needed for adaptation in the long run. Canada continues to invest in initiatives and approaches to help mobilize the private sector investment that is essential for addressing the SDG and Climate Action financing gaps. By supporting an appropriate balance of adaptation and mitigation investments, the Government of Canada is ensuring that it responds to developing country priorities in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Climate change and global warmingInternational development and aidSexual discrimination
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 18, 2020432-00065432-00065 (Environment)RachelBlaneyNorth Island—Powell RiverNDPBCOctober 5, 2020November 18, 2020February 5, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledNovember 16, 2020432-00007432-00007 (Foreign affairs)ElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCSeptember 24, 2020November 16, 2020September 16, 2020Petition to the House of Commons in Parliament assembledWhereas:
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that climate change will increase existing inequalities and vulnerabilities between men and women;
  • Developing countries are already bearing up to 80% of the cost of climate change, including through food insecurity, loss and damage, compromised livelihoods and instability;
  • Without urgent action, climate impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030;
  • Developed country parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have agreed to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change, and for those resources to be balanced between adaptation and mitigation;
  • Although investments in climate change adaptation are critical to promote gender equality, inclusive economic growth and social stability, and can unlock trillions of dollars in savings, they currently make up less than 20% of international climate finance;
  • Less than 35% of Canada's international climate finance investments support adaptation projects, and only 0.2% includes gender equality as a principal objective; and
  • The Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in April 2019 called upon the Government of Canada to increase the proportion of its climate finance funding that is dedicated to adaptation measures to 50%.
We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:
  • Commit at least 50% of Canada's public climate finance for developing countries towards adaptation, and at least 15% towards projects that target gender equality as a primary objective.
Response by the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina GouldClimate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today, affecting every country, community and individual. Developing countries are the most affected by climate change and its impacts, and least able to afford its consequences. Their vulnerability is due to multiple factors that can limit their ability to prevent and respond to the impacts of climate change, and as a result, climate change has the potential to reverse significant development gains made in these countries. In developing countries, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change, while at the same time, their experience, knowledge and leadership are essential to addressing these challenges. Environment and climate action is therefore most effective when women and girls play an active role as powerful agents of change to advance action on climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns. This inclusive approach helps deliver informed solutions that also mitigate some of the threats to women’s and girls’ health, safety, economic well-being, and social inequalities associated with climate change.In March 2015, United Nations member states, including Canada, agreed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Climate Action goal – SDG 13 – calls on the international community to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. To achieve SDG 13, all countries need to accelerate and intensify their actions and investments on climate change. In December 2015, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement. In support of the Paris Agreement, the Prime Minister announced in 2015 that Canada would provide $2.65 billion over five years to help developing countries tackle climate change. Canada is delivering on this climate finance pledge as part of the commitment to supporting the poorest and most vulnerable populations affected by climate change. Canada also continues to work closely with other donors towards the joint goal to mobilize US$100 billion per year by 2020. Canada’s climate finance is helping developing countries transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through:
  • initiatives that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with developing countries’ needs and plans
  • adaptation action, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable, including women and girls
  • mobilizing new private sector capital for climate action in developing countries.
 In 2018, Canada was President of the Group of Seven (G7) and played a leadership role on climate change by placing it high on the G7 agenda and ensuring an inclusive approach that addressed gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Canada has been particularly active in supporting climate-smart agriculture, and increased access to green energy – both of which are especially important to women and girls. The Government of Canada recognizes that adaptation measures are essential for developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, to enable them to build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Canada’s continued efforts to scale up adaptation measures are in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Adaptation and gender equality will also be key elements of Canada’s future climate finance. The government also recognizes the importance of mitigation investments for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, directly addressing the cause of climate change, and therefore reducing support needed for adaptation in the long run. Canada continues to invest in initiatives and approaches to help mobilize the private sector investment that is essential for addressing the SDG and Climate Action financing gaps. By supporting an appropriate balance of adaptation and mitigation investments, the Government of Canada is ensuring that it responds to developing country priorities in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Climate change and global warmingInternational development and aidSexual discrimination
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 24, 2020e-2395e-2395 (Foreign affairs)ShaughnMcArthurElizabethMaySaanich—Gulf IslandsGreen PartyBCJanuary 28, 2020, at 9:20 a.m. (EDT)April 27, 2020, at 9:20 a.m. (EDT)June 8, 2020September 24, 2020April 27, 2020Petition to the <Addressee type="3" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">Government of Canada</Addressee>Whereas:The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that climate change will increase existing inequalities and vulnerabilities between men and women;Developing countries are already bearing up to 80% of the cost of climate change, including through food insecurity, loss and damage, compromised livelihoods and instability;Without urgent action, climate impacts could push an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030;Developed country parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change have agreed to mobilize $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change, and for those resources to be balanced between adaptation and mitigation;Although investments in climate change adaptation are critical to promote gender equality, inclusive economic growth and social stability, and can unlock trillions of dollars in savings, they currently make up less than 20% of international climate finance;Less than 35% of Canada’s international climate finance investments support adaptation projects, and only 0.2% includes gender equality as a principal objective; andThe Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in April 2019 called upon the Government of Canada to increase the proportion of its climate finance funding that is dedicated to adaptation measures to 50%.We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to commit at least 50% of Canada's public climate finance for developing countries towards adaptation, and at least 15% towards projects that target gender equality as a primary objective.
Response by the Minister of International Development Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Karina GouldClimate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today, affecting every country, community and individual. Developing countries are the most affected by climate change and its impacts, and least able to afford its consequences. Their vulnerability is due to multiple factors that can limit their ability to prevent and respond to the impacts of climate change, and as a result, climate change has the potential to reverse significant development gains made in these countries.In developing countries, women and girls are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change, while at the same time, their experience, knowledge and leadership are essential to addressing these challenges.  Environment and climate action is therefore most effective when women and girls play an active role as powerful agents of change to advance action on climate change, pollution and other environmental concerns.  This inclusive approach helps deliver informed solutions that also mitigate some of the threats to women’s and girls’ health, safety, economic well-being, and social inequalities associated with climate change.In March 2015, UN member states, including Canada, agreed to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the accompanying Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Climate Action goal – SDG 13 – calls on the international community to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. To achieve SDG 13, all countries need to accelerate and intensify their actions and investments on climate change.In December 2015, the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement. In support of the Paris Agreement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in 2015 that Canada would provide $2.65 billion over five years to help developing countries tackle climate change. Canada is delivering on this climate finance pledge as part of the commitment to supporting the poorest and most vulnerable populations affected by climate change. To date, Canada has announced $2 billion in programming, disbursed more than $1.7 billion to partners, and is on track to meeting the expected results of the $2.65 billion commitment by the end of fiscal year 2020-21.Canada continues to work closely with other donors towards the joint goal to mobilize US$100 billion per year by 2020.Canada’s climate finance is helping developing countries transition to low-carbon and climate resilient economies through:
  • initiatives that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with developing countries’ needs and plans
  • adaptation action, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable, including women and girls
  • mobilizing new private sector capital for climate action in developing countries
In 2018, Canada was President of the Group of Seven (G7) and played a leadership role on climate change by placing it high on the G7 agenda and ensuring an inclusive approach that addressed gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Canada has been particularly active in supporting climate-smart agriculture, and increased access to green energy – both of which are especially important to women and girls.The Government of Canada recognizes that adaptation measures are essential for developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, to enable them to build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Canada’s continued efforts to scale up adaptation measures are in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy. Adaptation and gender equality will also be key elements of Canada’s future climate finance, on which the government is currently consulting publicly.The government also recognizes the importance of mitigation investments for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, directly addressing the cause of climate change, and therefore reducing support needed for adaptation in the long-run. Canada continues to invest in initiatives and approaches to help mobilize the private sector investment that is essential for addressing the SDG and Climate Action financing gaps.  By supporting an appropriate balance of adaptation and mitigation investments, the Government of Canada is ensuring that it responds to developing country priorities in line with the Paris Agreement and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.
Climate change and global warmingInternational development and aidSexual discrimination
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 24, 2020431-00247431-00247 (Environment)RichardCanningsSouth Okanagan—West KootenayNDPBCJune 10, 2020September 24, 2020January 22, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Jonathan WilkinsonTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html)
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledSeptember 24, 2020e-2525e-2525 (Environment)VictorBricePaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithGreen PartyBCApril 16, 2020, at 1:25 p.m. (EDT)June 15, 2020, at 1:25 p.m. (EDT)June 18, 2020September 24, 2020June 17, 2020Petition to the <Addressee type="1" affiliationId="" mp-riding-display="1">House of Commons</Addressee>Whereas:80% of fossil fuel reserves are currently being exploited globally; These reserves need to remain in the ground in order to stay below the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold and prevent catastrophic climate change;To lower our greenhouse gas emissions, we must transition away from our fossil fuel dependency; Countries must immediately stop investing in fossil fuel infrastructure heavily subsidizing the sector and offering stimulus packages to oil and gas companies;In Canada, the federal and provincial governments spend billions of dollars of Canadian taxpayers’ money to continue to prop up the fossil fuel sector; The latest cost estimate of the TMX pipeline totals $12.6 billion;The government subsidizes the fossil fuel sector with $3.3 billion on an annual basis; This subsidy not only impedes the transition towards a fossil fuel-free future, but also negates the purpose of the carbon tax; andCanada’s current climate targets were set by the Harper government in 2015 and it is approximately half of what must be done to limit global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to:1. Update Canada’s climate action targets to reflect science and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 report;2. Eliminate all subsidies to the fossil fuel industry;3. Invest in a just transition for oil and gas workers;4. Cease from purchasing, subsidizing or supporting any future fossil fuel infrastructure; and5. Invest in clean, renewable energy and/or other climate, and socially conscious investment opportunities.
Response by the Minister of SeniorsSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): IREK KUSMIERCZYKCanada’s energy sector is one of significant importance to both the Canadian economy and labour market. In 2018, Canada’s energy sector accounted for 10.6% of GDP; directly employed more than 281,000 people, including over 169,000 in the oil and gas sector; and indirectly employed over 550,000 people. Energy industries are quickly evolving in response to policies combatting climate change, resulting in associated labour market disruptions and creating anxiety among workers and communities. The Government committed to achieving a net-zero carbon emissions economy by 2050. The Government recognizes that the transition to a net-zero carbon emissions economy will have an impact on oil and gas sector workers, especially in regions of the country where the sector drives economic growth.The Minister of Natural Resources was mandated, with the collaboration of the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, to ensure that workers and their communities will be aided in the transition to a low-carbon global economy through targeted investments, and services and programs to integrate workers and companies back into the labour market. To support the Government’s commitment to support a just transition for oil and gas workers and communities, the Task Force on Just Transition for Coal Power Workers and Communities was established in April 2018. The Task Force consulted extensively in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick and released their final report in March 2019, which included a suite of recommendations.Through Budgets 2018 and 2019, the Government committed $185 million to support displaced oil and gas workers and communities impacted:
  • $35 million for skills development and employment activities (underway); and,
  • $150 million for community infrastructure projects to support economic diversification (underway).
The Government also has several programs in place to support workers through times of transition, through income support and in upskilling and reskilling as the labour market evolves. These programs aim to support displaced workers by strengthening their long-term labour attachment and build a more resilient Canadian labour force:
  • The main income support program in place is the Employment Insurance (EI) Program. EI regular benefits provide temporary income support to unemployed individuals who, through no fault of their own, become unemployed while they look for work or upgrade their skills.
  • Work-Sharingis another important tool that can be leveraged when sectors are facing specific challenges. Work-Sharing is an adjustment program, funded through the EI Operating Account, designed to help employers and employees avoid layoffs when there is a temporary reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the control of the employer. The program provides income support to employees eligible for EI benefits who work a temporarily-reduced work week while their employer recovers.
Beyond income support measures, the Government has several programs in place to support the upskilling and reskilling of workers, including underrepresented workers. These include:
  • Skills Boost aims to help workers adapt to the changing nature of work by providing enhanced student financial assistance and making use of Employment Insurance flexibilities targeted to working or unemployed Canadians looking to return to school to upgrade their skills.
  • Future Skills is an initiative dedicated to examining major trends that will have an impact on the economy; identifying the skills sought and required by Canadian employers; exploring new and innovative approaches to skills development; and sharing information and analysis to help inform future skills investments and programming.
Indigenous Peoples Programming Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program helps close the employment, skills and earnings gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, focusing on employment skills development and training for higher-quality jobs, rather than rapid employment. Skills and Partnership Fund leverages service-delivery and business partnerships to support Indigenous training and participation in current and emerging economic opportunities by funding targeted projects in federally identified priority areas. Youth Programming Student Work Placement Program gives post-secondary students across Canada paid work experience related to their field of study through partnerships with businesses and post-secondary education institutions. To encourage the development of skills required, the Government has made investments specifically for student work placements for young Canadians enrolled in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and business programs, as well as work-integrated learning opportunities in cyber security and artificial intelligence. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) helps young people between the ages of 15 and 30 gain the information, skills, job experience and abilities they need to make a successful transition to the workplace.Provincial and Territorial TransfersEach year, the Government of Canada provides provinces and territories (PTs) with approximately $3 billion in ongoing funding through the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs). These agreements enable PT governments to offer a range of skills training and employment supports to help Canadians improve their skills, and find and keep good jobs. Under these agreements, PTs have the flexibility to design and deliver employment programming that meets the needs of their local labour markets.Building on these existing supports, Employment and Social Development Canada is committed to working with partners and stakeholders, including other federal Government departments and levels of government to support a just transition for workers in the oil and gas sector.
Response by the Minister of Natural ResourcesSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mr. Paul LefebvreThe Government of Canada is committed to taking meaningful climate action, investing in clean energy and supporting workers and communities in the transition to a low-carbon economy.3. Invest in a just transition for oil and gas workersThe Government of Canada is helping to lead an inclusive economic recovery and building a global low-carbon economy. This includes supporting workers and a commitment to leaving no community behind. That commitment is why, for example, the government recently invested up to $2.5 billion in the energy sector to reduce emissions and remediate inactive oil and gas wells. This is how the government is helping to drive innovation, enhance environmental performance, create jobs, and support Canada’s economic recovery in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.Prior to the pandemic, the Government of Canada also established the Task Force on a Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities to engage communities affected by the phase out of coal-fired electricity. Based on the Task Force’s recommendations, the government is investing $185 million in infrastructure, skills development and economic diversification initiatives in affected communities. As well, the Government of Canada continues to look at other innovative ways to support the skills and employment needs of workers and communities across the country.5. Invest in clean, renewable energy and/or other climate, and socially conscious investment opportunitiesCanada is a global leader in clean technology and energy innovation. In fact, Canada ranks fourth on the Global Cleantech Innovation Index, and has 12 companies on the 2020 Global Cleantech 100 List. Additionally, Canada is 7th among member countries of the International Energy Agency for public expenditures on energy research, development, and demonstration. All of this reflects Canada’s growing leadership on the international stage – including its five-year commitment through Mission Innovation to double federal funding for clean energy research and development to $775 million this year.In all, the Government of Canada has committed $2.3 billion in clean technologies since 2016. This includes significant investments in clean and renewable energy through the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF), such as:
  • $220 million to transition rural and remote communities from diesel-powered generation to clean electricity;
  • Over $300 million to support the demonstration and deployment of electric-vehicle and alternative-fuel infrastructure, including a coast-to-coast network of electric vehicle charging stations;
  • $200 million to support the deployment of emerging renewable energy technologies;
  • $100 million to fund research and development related to smart grids, storage and clean electricity technologies; and
  • $1 billion to increase energy efficiency in residential, commercial and multi-unit buildings and expand on existing programs that include the EnerGuide Rating System, the ENERGY STAR® program and the Energy Manager Program.
  • The creation of new Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles to make the purchase of these vehicles more affordable for Canadians.
Other important measures under the PCF include pricing carbon pollution, phasing out coal-fired electricity, introducing new building codes (Build Smart) and investing in the production and use of low-carbon fuels. Further information on investments being made under the PCF is available in the annual synthesis reportsIn addition, the government has implemented numerous new programs and policies to leverage more private-sector investments. These initiatives include the Impact Canada Cleantech Challenges, the Breakthrough Energy Solutions Canada initiative with the Bill Gates-led Breakthrough Energy Ventures fund, and the Clean Growth Program. These emission-reduction initiatives support promising demonstration projects, help to commercialize Canadian ingenuity and ensure the nation’s innovators can compete in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.As Canada takes its first steps toward a post-COVID-19 recovery, the government will take further action to build on all of these efforts to drive economic growth, combat a changing climate and ensure more inclusive prosperity.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson1. Update Canada’s climate action targets to reflect science and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2018 reportIn pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s Paris Agreement 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial, and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society, and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures in the Pan-Canadian Framework include:
  • federal regulations to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030 and set performance regulations for natural-gas fired electricity;
  • working with provinces to put Canadian electricity generation on a path towards 90 percent non-emitting sources by 2030, while supporting workers and communities in the transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • implementing a Clean Fuel Standard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the lifecycle of fossil fuels used in transportation, buildings, and industry;
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine, and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in federally funded infrastructure projects; and
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, protect the environment, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • more than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption, and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • over $64 million to help rural, remote, and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful, and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
Canada’s 2019 greenhouse gas emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. However, the science is clear, global emissions must reach carbon neutrality by 2050 to limit warming to 1.5°C. The Government of Canada recognizes these findings and agrees that more work is needed. As such, the Government of Canada is committed to implementing the Pan-Canadian Framework, while strengthening existing and introducing new climate actions to exceed Canada’s 2030 emission reduction target. The Government of Canada is also committed to putting Canada on a path to achieve a prosperous net-zero emissions future by 2050. This includes setting legally-binding five-year emission-reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and Canadians.The Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. Additional new climate measures include:
  • working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow a clean technology company;
  • completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 percent of Canada’s land and 25 percent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 percent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives.
The federal government will look to the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians to ensure the path to net-zero is sensitive to the needs of our country, grows the economy, and makes life more affordable. Achieving Canada’s climate goals will require nothing short of a transformation of the Canadian economy, with corresponding impacts on and opportunities for Canadian workers.The Canadian economy is currently facing important challenges in light of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The Government of Canada’s number one priority remains keeping Canadians safe and supporting families and businesses through this extraordinary time. To help Canadians and businesses, the Government of Canada has announced support through the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, which provides immediate help to Canadians and businesses that need it most.The Government of Canada also recognizes that changes to our environment present a threat to our long-term health and economic prosperity. As such, the federal government announced that it will provide up to$1.72 billion to clean up orphan and/or inactive oil and gas wells in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, creating and maintaining thousands of jobs and generating lasting environmental benefits. In addition, the Government of Canada will provide up to $750 million to create a new proposed Emissions Reduction Fund to reduce emissions in Canada’s oil and gas sector, with a focus on methane. This fund will provide primarily repayable contributions to conventional and offshore oil and gas firms to support their investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, climate conditions have been built into new financial support for businesses. On May 12, 2020, the Government of Canada announced support for large- and medium-sized businesses through the establishment of a Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility to provide bridge financing to Canada’s largest employers whose needs during the pandemic were not being met through conventional financing in order to keep their operations going. Recipient companies will be required to commit to publish annual climate-related disclosure reports consistent with the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, including how their future operations will support environmental sustainability and national climate goals.As the economy recovers, the Government of Canada will continue effective, transparent, and efficient policy approaches to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, protect our environment, and position Canada for clean growth. 
Response by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of FinanceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Chrystia Freeland2. Eliminate all subsiies to the fossil fuel industry.In 2009, Canada, as a member of the G20, committed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies over the medium term.  Canada’s commitment was further strengthened on June 29, 2016, when North American Leaders committed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025.In recent years, Canada has taken significant steps to phase out a number of corporate income tax preferences for the oil and gas and coal mining sectors, including:Canada will continue to review measures that could be considered fossil fuel subsidies, with a view to reforming them as necessary.4. Cease from purchasing, subsidizing or supporting any future fossil fuel infrastructure.The environment and the economy go hand-in-hand. When we create prosperity today, we can invest in the clean jobs, technologies, and infrastructure of the future — and help Canadians benefit from opportunities presented by a rapidly changing economy.The key to creating prosperity is finding new markets for our businesses to sell their products and services. Nowhere is the need to diversify greater than for our energy sector, where 99 per cent of our conventional resources are sold to one market — and often at large discounts. Canadians understand that we need to open up new international markets, in order to get a full and fair price, support workers and their families, and foster competitiveness.The Government’s purchase of the Trans Mountain Corporation (TMC) and approval of the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP) was based on the confidence that:
  • strong environmental protections have been and continue to be put in place, and that the effects of TMEP can be mitigated through conditions and recommendations outlined by the National Energy Board, as well as measures including the historic $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan and the national climate plan.
  • consultations with Indigenous peoples involved meaningful, two-way dialogue, which fulfilled the legal duty to consult and helped identify new accommodation measures and conditions to appropriately address potential impacts on Indigenous rights and concerns expressed by Indigenous communities.
On February 7, 2020, TMC announced that its Board of Directors had approved a total cost estimate of $12.6 billion to bring TMEP into service by the end of 2022. The Government is confident that the TMEP will generate a positive return for Canadians.TMEP as it stands today is very different from the project that Kinder Morgan proposed in 2017. It has been designed to a higher standard for environmental protection, undergone rigorous consultation with Indigenous groups and will support union jobs in B.C. and Alberta. These enhancements have improved TMEP, ensured that construction proceeds in the right way, and that it will support the Canadian economy today and into the future.The Government also announced that every dollar the federal government earns from TMEP will be invested in Canada’s clean energy transition. It is estimated that additional tax revenues from TMEP alone could generate $500 million per year once the project has been completed. This money will be invested in clean energy projects that will power our homes, businesses, and communities for generations to come.In addition, the Government launched the second step of its engagement process with Indigenous groups on June 9, 2020, to explore the possibility of Indigenous economic participation in the Project.  In this step of the engagement process, the Government is focused on building consensus on the form of economic participation in the Project preferred by participating Indigenous groups: equity and/or revenue sharing; and identifying or supporting the formation of one or more entities to represent participating Indigenous groups in negotiations with Canada.By moving forward with TMEP, the Government is creating jobs, diversifying markets, accelerating Canada’s clean energy transition, and opening up new avenues for Indigenous economic prosperity.
  1.  Invest in clean, renewable energy and/or other climate, and socially conscious investment opportunities.
Since Budget 2016, the Government has committed over $60 billion to support the transition to a clean economy – including:
  • $18.2 billion in green infrastructure over 12 years:
    • The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund - $2 billion announced in Budget 2016 to provide communities with more reliable water and wastewater systems.
    • Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (Green Stream) - $9.2 billion announced in Budget 2017 for the provinces and territories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enable greater adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change and climate-related disaster mitigation, and ensure that more communities can provide clean air and safe drinking water for their citizens.
    • Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund - $2 billion announced in Budget 2017 to support large-scale infrastructure projects to help communities better manage the risks of natural disasters.
    • Canada Infrastructure Bank - $5 billion to support investments in green infrastructure projects. To date, the Canada Infrastructure Bank has announced $20 million for the Mapleton water and wastewater project, and memoranda of understanding to advance the Lulu Island District Energy Project, the Pirate Harbour Wind Farm, and the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link.
    • Information on projects and funding allocated under these initiatives are available on Infrastructure Canada and Canada Infrastructure Bank websites. 
  • $28.7 billion in public transit infrastructure over 12 years:
    • The Public Transit Infrastructure Fund - $3.4 billion announced in Budget 2016 to improve and expand public transit systems across Canada.
    • Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (Public Transit Stream) – $20.3 billion announced in Budget 2017 for the provinces and territories to support the new construction, expansion, and improvement and rehabilitation of public transit infrastructure, and active transportation projects.
      • Canada Infrastructure Bank - $5 billion to support investments in public transit projects. To date, the Canada Infrastructure Bank has announced $1.28 billion for the Réseau express métropolitain project, and a memorandum of understanding to advance planning for a new passenger railway service between Calgary International Airport and the Town of Banff.
      • Information on projects and funding allocated under these initiatives are available on Infrastructure Canada and Canada Infrastructure Bank websites.
  • $2 billion to the Low Carbon Economy funds to generate clean growth, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to help meet Canada's Paris Agreement climate commitments:
    • The Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund - up to $1.4 billion to provinces and territories that adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Provinces and territories are each eligible to receive $30 million plus funding based on population. Approximately $200 million was subsequently reallocated to the Ontario Energy Savings Rebate program, which allows Ontario retailers to offer rebates on the purchase of approved energy efficient products, following Ontario’s decision to eliminate its carbon pricing system.
    • The Low Carbon Economy Challenge - over $500 million allocated through a competitive process to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate clean growth. Provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply.
  • $1.5 billion in the Oceans Protection Plan over 5 years, starting in 2017-18
    • In November 2016, the Government launched the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, the largest investment ever made to protect Canada’s coasts and waterways. The Plan aims to create a world-leading marine safety system that will increase the Government of Canada’s capacity to prevent and improve response to marine pollution incidents; restore and protect marine ecosystems and habitats; create stronger local emergency response capacity by establishing Indigenous partnerships and by engaging coastal communities; and invest in oil spill cleanup research and methods to ensure that decisions taken to protect the marine environment are evidence-based.
  • $1.3 billion in the Nature Legacy over 5 years to support Canada’s biodiversity and protect species at risk. This investment includes a $500 million federal contribution to create a new $1 billion Nature Fund in partnership with corporate, not-for-profit, provincial, territorial and other partners. In collaboration with partners, the Nature Fund secures private land, supports provincial and territorial species protection efforts, and helps build
  • Indigenous capacity to conserve land and species. The remaining funding increases the federal capacity to protect species at risk and manage protected areas, and establishes a coordinated network of conservation areas working with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners.
  • $2.3 billion in clean technology funding over 5 years, starting in 2017-18 as follows:
    • $1.4 billion to the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada in growth capital and project financing to support the clean technology sector.
    • $400 million recapitalization of Sustainable Development Technology Canada to support projects which develop and demonstrate new technologies with potential to advance sustainable development, including technologies in areas of climate change, clean air and water, as well as soil quality.
    • $229 million in core clean energy and clean transportation innovation programming to accelerate the deployment and market entry of next-generation clean energy infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations and smart grid technologies.
      • $200 million to support clean technology research, development, demonstration and adoption of clean technology in Canada’s natural resources, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
      • $15 million for an international business development strategy to encourage and support Canadian firms in their efforts to capitalize on growing opportunities in the global market for clean technology.
      • $14.5 million for a clean technology data strategy, which will support the collection of data and regular reporting on clean technology activities. This will strengthen the evidence-base for decisions, improve the understanding of the emerging clean technology landscape, and ensure the creation of policies and programs to support the production and adoption of clean technology.
      • $12 million for the Clean Growth Hub, a whole-of-government focal point for clean technology focused on supporting companies and projects, coordinating programs and tracking results. The Clean Growth Hub helps clean technology developers and adopters identify the federal programs and services most relevant to their needs, and can also help answer questions regarding policy, regulations, accessing federal laboratories, procurement and skills/training related to clean technology.
  • $950 million in energy efficiency initiatives through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in 2018-19. This investment will improve the energy efficiency of residential, commercial, multi-unit and large community buildings through three initiatives as follows:
    • Collaboration on Community Climate Action ($350 million) to provide municipalities and non-profit community organizations with financing and grants to retrofit and improve the energy efficiency of large community buildings as well as community pilot and demonstration projects in Canadian municipalities, both large and small.
    • Community EcoEfficiency Acceleration ($300 million) to provide financing for municipal initiatives to support home energy efficiency retrofits. Homeowners could qualify for assistance in replacing furnaces and installing renewable energy technologies.
    • Sustainable Affordable Housing Innovation ($300 million) to provide financing and support to affordable housing developments to improve energy efficiency in new and existing housing and support on-site energy generation.  
Incentive for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) Program ($300 million) to provide Canadians with incentives of up to $5,000 for the purchase of eligible new zero-emission vehicles.
Climate change and global warmingOil and gasRenewable energy and fuel
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 20, 2020431-00209431-00209 (Environment)GordJohnsCourtenay—AlberniNDPBCMay 21, 2020July 20, 2020February 5, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 20, 2020431-00188431-00188 (Environment)LloydLongfieldGuelphLiberalONMay 14, 2020July 20, 2020March 23, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Jonathan WilkinsonTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 20, 2020431-00187431-00187 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCMay 14, 2020July 20, 2020February 28, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): THE HONOURABLE JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledJuly 20, 2020431-00169431-00169 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCMay 5, 2020July 20, 2020February 28, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledMay 25, 2020431-00150431-00150 (Taxation)LaurelCollinsVictoriaNDPBCMarch 11, 2020May 25, 2020March 10, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We the undersigned citizens of Canada respectfully request that the House of Commons give serious consideration to the following: WHEREAS, Canada has a national price on carbon, uniting all provinces with a minimum and rising fee. This is an important step to help Canada in its transition to clean energy. THAT, Canada has committed to increasing the fee for only five years which makes planning difficult for Canadian businesses; THAT, A five year commitment and a price of $50 per carbon tonne are not enough to meet Canada's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030; THAT, Some sectors of the economy are exempt from the full price of the carbon tax. A comprehensive fee applied at the wellhead and point of entry for import in all provinces will most effectively reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions while providing powerful incentives to invest in the clean energy economy; THAT, Canada should be incentivizing non-carbon-taxing jurisdictions to price carbon while helping our economy establish an equal footing in the global market; THAT, Low and middle income Canadians are already overburdened with taxes.THEREFORE, we petitioners call upon the House of Commons to take meaningful steps so that Canada can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become a world leader in the clean energy economy. Extending the carbon fee to rise incrementally to at least $150 by 2030, ensuring comprehensive coverage and imposing border tax adjustments on carbon pollution will help ensure a strong, diverse and competitive economy inspiring other countries to take Canada's lead. Protecting low and middle-income Canadians from a rising carbon price by recirculating 100% of the revenue equitably to citizens in dividend cheques will ensure transparency and citizens will understand where their carbon fees go.
Response by the Minister of FinanceSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mr. Sean FraserThe Government of Canada has been working with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples, to implement the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. This plan outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, spur clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change provides a foundation and positions Canada on a path to meet its 2030 targets and achieve net zero by 2050.Pricing carbon pollution is an essential part of this plan. It is the most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate investments in clean innovation. A price on carbon pollution creates incentives for individuals, households, and businesses to choose cleaner options.The federal carbon pollution pricing system is not about raising revenues. It is about recognizing that pollution has a cost, empowering Canadians, and encouraging cleaner growth and a more sustainable future. All direct proceeds from carbon pollution pricing under the federal system will be returned to the jurisdiction in which they were generated.Provincial and territorial governments that have committed to addressing climate change by voluntarily adopting the federal system will receive these proceeds directly from the federal government and can decide on how to use them.For provinces that have not committed to pricing carbon pollution (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta), the federal government will return the bulk of direct proceeds from the fuel charge directly to individuals and families in the form of tax-free Climate Action Incentive payments. Most households in those provinces will receive more in Climate Action Incentive payments than the increased costs they incur from the federal carbon pollution pricing system. Returning proceeds from carbon pollution pricing mitigates the financial impact on families while maintaining the incentive to pollute less.In the Pan-Canadian Framework, the Government committed to work with provinces and territories to review the path forward on carbon pollution pricing in 2022. The review will inform the path forward, and help ensure that carbon pollution pricing is fair and effective across Canada.
Carbon pricingCarbon taxClimate change and global warmingTax refunds
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledMay 25, 2020431-00141431-00141 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCMarch 10, 2020May 25, 2020January 23, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • Regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • Developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • Establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • Increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • Adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • Establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledMay 25, 2020431-00135431-00135 (Environment)MarkGerretsenKingston and the IslandsLiberalONMarch 9, 2020May 25, 2020February 28, 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 levels and methane levels are still increasing.
  • 2) Global mean temperatures are still increasing.
  • 3) Arctic, Greenland, Antarctic and alpine ice melt is still increasing.
  • 4) Ocean acidification is still increasing.
  • 5) Extreme weather events and wildfires are still increasing.
  • 6) Parliament in 2019 declared we have a "climate emergency".
THEREFORE, your petitioners request the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to mandate and to fund energy audits of all federal buildings.
Response by the President of the Treasury Board Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): GREG FERGUSIn Canada and abroad, the effects of climate change are increasingly evident. Responses require action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere and increase the resiliency of assets, services, and operations to adapt to the changing climate.Through the Greening Government Strategy, the Government of Canada will transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient operations, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon. The Government of Canada will reduce GHG emissions from federal facilities and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve this target by 2025. It will further reduce emissions by 80% below 2005 levels by 2050 (with an aspiration to be carbon neutral). These targets will be achieved through low-carbon, sustainable, and climate resilient real property, low-carbon mobility and fleets, and green goods and services. As of fiscal year 2018-19, emissions are down 32.6%.Federal buildings are the single largest source of GHG emissions for government operations, accounting for 89% of emissions subject to the above targets in 2018-19. Deep decarbonization of buildings will therefore be crucial to achieving the targets. Advanced energy management practices are therefore a top priority. The Government of Canada collects detailed electricity and energy use on major federal buildings and publicly discloses the data on an annual basis. The Natural Resources Canada clean energy management software (RETScreen) uses the data for ongoing building performance analysis and to identify energy efficiency improvements across the real property portfolio.The Government of Canada has a vast portfolio of federal buildings types including office, hangar, heritage, residential, recreational and more. They are located in many climatic zones and their state of upkeep vary considerably. Therefore, a full suite of tools are needed to address such divergent needs. The Government of Canada uses a tiered approach for improving the performance of the federal portfolio. The Greening Government Strategy requires departments to strategically evaluate their real property portfolios to determine the most cost-effective pathway to achieve low-carbon operations. Departments must also evaluate their real property needs to determine opportunities for portfolio rationalization, optimal real property management, and shared locations and facilities. The Government of Canada is also conducting departmental carbon neutral studies to set a long-term strategy for decarbonizing real property portfolios; and it is implementing smart building technologies to keep buildings operating at their highest levels of environmental performance.Once buildings are designated for upgrades in portfolio plans, energy audits are an extremely useful tool to help identify cost-effective measures in advance of a retrofit. The Government of Canada uses them extensively when implementing energy performance contracts under the Federal Buildings Initiative. Since the results of energy audits are often time limited due to the constantly changing operating parameters of the buildings, the Government of Canada undertakes them as close as possible to the time of the retrofit. Used in combination with RETScreen, the Government of Canada can annually benchmark the electricity and energy use of buildings, thereby ensuring maximum value for limited taxpayer resources.
Climate change and global warmingEnergy conservationGovernment facilities
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 15, 2020431-00140431-00140 (Environment)AlistairMacGregorCowichan—Malahat—LangfordNDPBCMarch 10, 2020April 15, 2020January 24, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 15, 2020431-00132431-00132 (Environment)RachelBlaneyNorth Island—Powell RiverNDPBCMarch 9, 2020April 15, 2020January 24, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 15, 2020431-00131431-00131 (Environment)WilliamAmosPontiacLiberalQCMarch 9, 2020April 15, 2020February 24, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html   
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00061431-00061 (Environment)MichaelMcLeodNorthwest TerritoriesLiberalNTFebruary 4, 2020April 11, 2020January 8, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html   
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00062431-00062 (Environment)PaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithGreen PartyBCFebruary 4, 2020April 11, 2020February 4, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent. In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts. The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html   
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00071431-00071 (Environment)JenicaAtwinFrederictonGreen PartyNBFebruary 5, 2020April 11, 2020February 4, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html    
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00074431-00074 (Environment)PaulManlyNanaimo—LadysmithGreen PartyBCFebruary 6, 2020April 11, 2020February 4, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economyM-1
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00077431-00077 (Environment)MatthewGreenHamilton CentreNDPONFebruary 7, 2020April 11, 2020January 22, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html 
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00078431-00078 (Environment)PeterJulianNew Westminster—BurnabyNDPBCFebruary 7, 2020April 11, 2020January 22, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00079431-00079 (Environment)JackHarrisSt. John's EastNDPNLFebruary 7, 2020April 11, 2020January 20, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy
43rd Parliament223Government response tabledApril 11, 2020431-00113431-00113 (Environment)AlexRuffBruce—Grey—Owen SoundConservativeONFebruary 25, 2020April 11, 2020February 24, 2020PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONSWe, the undersigned Citizens of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following:WHEREAS, Climate change has escalated into a global climate emergency; the world is on pace to warm nearly 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 and extreme weather events are growing with increasingly severe impacts, including floods, forest fires, rising temperatures, killer heat-waves, massive storms, sea level rise and disruption to marine and land ecosystems;WHEREAS, in order to act to avert further catastrophic climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) states that the scientific consensus is that we need to immediately move to reduce net human-caused greenhouse gas emissions to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net-zero by 2050;WHEREAS, Canada must address this climatic emergency with the ambition and urgency required, on behalf of present and future generations;WHEREAS, Canadians are living through unprecedented, catastrophic climate events and at the same time, our society is suffering from worsening socio-economic inequalities, with almost half of Canada's population reporting they are $200 away from insolvency at the end of each month;WHEREAS, climate change impacts threaten physical & mental health (particularly young people, the elderly and persons with disabilities), surrounding environments by affecting the food we eat, the world's water supply, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and how well local communities can adapt to climate change;WHEREAS, the impacts of climate emergency are far more severe for those living through the immediate consequences of climate change; Indigenous Peoples, frontline and vulnerable communities, like people seeking refugee status or asylum and those displaced by climate change, are disproportionality affected, resulting in the increased risks to their health;WHEREAS, it has never been more urgent that Canada reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy to meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, while ensuring that all Indigenous Peoples and Canadians benefit from the substantial public investments a low-carbon economy requires, like energy efficiency retrofits, affordable housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, public transit, pharmacare, dental care, childcare and eliminating student debt and tuition fees;WHEREAS, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the recognition of inherent rights, title and treaty rights, while fully implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be at the heart of Canada's approach to addressing the climate emergency;THEREFORE, your petitioners call on the Government of Canada to support Motion M-1, a made-in-Canada Green New Deal, the first initiative before the House of Commons, which calls on Canada to take bold & rapid action to adopt socially equitable climate action to tackle the climate emergency and address worsening socio-economic & racial inequalities at the same time; while ending fossil fuel subsidies, closing offshore tax havens, and supporting workers impacted by the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift to a clean and renewable energy economy.
Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate ChangeSigned by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable JONATHAN WILKINSONTo contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement, and in pursuit of efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Government of Canada is committed to exceed Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada’s climate plan, the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, adopted on December 9, 2016, is a comprehensive plan which includes both individual and joint federal, provincial and territorial climate actions to reduce emissions, accelerate clean economic growth, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This plan was developed in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous Peoples, businesses, civil society and Canadians across the country.The Pan-Canadian Framework outlines over 50 concrete measures to reduce carbon pollution, help us adapt and become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, foster clean technology solutions, and create good jobs that contribute to a stronger economy. Key measures include:
  • regulating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which will reduce carbon pollution by about 16.5 million tonnes in 2030;
  • accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation by 2030, as part of our efforts to have 90% of electricity from non-emitting sources, and supporting workers and communities transition to a low-carbon economy;
  • developing “net-zero energy ready” building codes to be adopted by 2030 for new buildings;
  • establishing mandatory labeling of building energy use to provide businesses and consumers with information on energy performance, and setting new standards to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment;
  • increasing the stringency of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, and taking steps to improve efficiency and support fuel switching in the rail, aviation, marine and off-road sectors;
  • adopting a Climate Lens to ensure that future climate impacts are considered and addressed in all federally funded infrastructure projects; and,
  • establishing a new Canadian Centre for Climate Services, giving Canadians better access to climate science and information.
The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of tackling climate change while growing the economy as a means of creating jobs and ensuring competitiveness. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed about $60 billion to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and support clean technology innovation and the transition to a clean growth economy. Commitments include:
  • More than $28 billion to support public transit, including over 1,211 transit projects approved;
  • $26.9 billion to support green infrastructure, including support for renewable energy, electric vehicle charging, natural gas and hydrogen refuelling stations, clean energy in rural and remote communities, and climate adaptation and resiliency initiatives (e.g., flood mitigation under the $2-billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund);
  • $3 billion to support the development, adoption and scale-up of clean technologies;
  • Over $2 billion to help cities and towns adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, delivered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (e.g., $75 million for the Municipal Climate Innovation Program, $50 million for the Municipal Asset Management Program, and over $1 billion in support for building energy efficiency investments);
  • $2 billion to generate clean growth and reduce carbon pollution from buildings, industries, forestry, and agriculture, by leveraging investment in projects through the Low Carbon Economy Fund;
  • The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, to improve marine safety and responsible shipping;
  • $1.3 billion for nature conservation;
  • $300 million to provide Canadian drivers and businesses with purchase incentives for zero-emission vehicles;
  • Over $64 million to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities transition off diesel fuel;
  • $108 million to establish the Canadian Centre for Climate Services, which is improving access to trusted, useful and timely climate information and data to support adaptation decision-making; and
  • Over $100 million in targeted federal funding to support specific economic sectors (such as transportation, agriculture, and health) and communities, including Indigenous and Northern communities (e.g., $52 million for the First Nations Adapt Program and $47 million for Climate Change Preparedness in the North).
To support the participation of youth in the clean growth economy, in August 2017, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that it would invest more than $14 million to support almost 1,000 green jobs for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates across the country through the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada announced that it is investing more than $16 million to create 1,200 green STEM jobs for Canadian youth in the natural resources sector, via the Green Jobs - Science and Technology Internship Program. The abovementioned funding is part of Budget 2017’s additional $395.5 million investment over three years, starting in 2017-2018, for the Youth Employment Strategy, in which 11 federal departments committed to providing opportunities for Canada’s youth.Canada’s climate plan is working. Canada’s 2019 GHG emissions projections show a widespread decline in projected emissions across the economy, reflecting the breadth and depth of the Pan-Canadian Framework. In fact, the policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in 2019, are projected to reduce emissions by 227 million tonnes in 2030, the greatest drop in Canadian history. However, the Government of Canada recognizes that more action is needed. This is why the Government will be implementing new climate measures including:
  • Setting legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians;
  • Appointing a group of scientists, economists and experts to recommend pathways to net-zero;
  • Working with businesses to make Canada the best place to start and grow clean technology companies;
  • Completing all flood maps in Canada;
  • Planting two billion incremental trees over the next 10 years as part of a broader commitment to nature-based solutions that also encompasses wetlands and urban forests; and
  • Introducing a new ambitious plan to conserve 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, working toward 30 per cent of each by 2030. This plan will be grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives.
The Government of Canada recognizes that Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable populations to a rapidly changing environment and is committed to renewing the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, and government-to-government basis. This includes collaborating with Indigenous partners on climate change action through structured, collaborative approaches, based on robust, ongoing and meaningful engagement based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation and partnership, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including free, prior and informed consent.In taking action on climate change and in moving forward on the implementation of Canada’s climate plan, the Prime Minister issued joint statements with each of the National Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the President of the Métis National Council. These joint statements committed to establishing three senior bilateral distinctions-based tables between the Government of Canada and First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. These partnerships seek to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are full and effective partners in advancing clean growth and achieving climate change goals to mitigate and reduce emissions as a necessary precursor to the mitigation of climate impacts.The Government of Canada understands the importance of limiting temperature increases to as little as possible, and that Canada must do its part. That is why Minister Wilkinson supports the goal of the Paris Agreement to ensure that global average temperature rise does not exceed 2°C, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature rise to below 1.5°C. The Pan-Canadian Framework was established to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions in line with these goals and our commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Government of Canada is committed to implementing all of the measures in our climate action plan and we’re making good progress in doing so, as described in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change annual report (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework.html  
Climate change and global warmingGreen economy