432-00657 (Environment)

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;

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.

In 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.