Archived: Departmental Plan 2018 to 2019 report, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 1
Minister’s message
As the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), I am pleased to present the 2018–19 Departmental Plan.
The Government of Canada believes that a strong economy and healthy environment go hand-in-hand. This underpins ECCC’s forward planning. The current document describes the Department’s plans and priorities and sets out the results ECCC is working towards for Canadians.
The challenges of climate change must be addressed in order to create and secure a better future for next generations. Implementing the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF) on Clean Growth and Climate Change over the coming year continues to be an essential step towards securing that future.
To this end, we will continue to engage with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, external experts and others to improve collaborative outcomes under the PCF. We will collectively step up our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive clean growth, develop efficient regulatory instruments, support adaptation and resilience to climate change, implement carbon pricing, leverage investments in the low carbon economy, and contribute to international climate change actions.
My officials and I will also partner with other jurisdictions to drive global climate action internationally, including through the Ministerial on Climate Action, which we co-chair with the European Union and China, the Powering Past Coal Alliance, with the United Kingdom, to encourage the global phase-out of coal-generated electricity and the management of substances harmful to human health and the environment. We will remain a valuable contributor in international fora, such as the annual UN Climate Change Conference to advance the Paris Agreement and the Montreal Protocol Conference and we will play a strong leadership role supporting Canada’s G7 Presidency, working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy.
In 2018–19, we will also work to prevent further decline, and build sustainable populations of species at risk, support and enhance biodiversity across Canada, and expand Canada’s National Wildlife Areas, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, and protected areas. This work will be possible due to the historic investment of $1.3 billion over five years in nature conservation announced in Budget 2018.
The Government is delivering on its commitment to establish better rules governing the review of major projects. The new rules governing environmental assessment and regulatory processes will protect our environment, fish and waterways, restore public trust, and help create new jobs and economic opportunities. This process will ensure that cumulative effects are better considered and that science and Indigenous traditional knowledge are applied to strengthen the assessments.
Budget 2018 proposed funding of $130.3 million over five years to complete the modernization of Canada’s weather forecast and severe weather warning systems, and to revitalize water monitoring stations and improve water forecasts. These new measures will help provide accurate and up-to-date data to Canadians on weather and environmental conditions. This includes exploring and applying new technology to help improve the accuracy and timeliness of weather, water and other environmental information.
ECCC’s recently-deployed supercomputer will further integrate data and provide applications well beyond current weather and environmental forecasting capabilities.
I invite you to read this Plan for details on the priorities of ECCC, and our commitment to deliver on them as we work towards a cleaner and more prosperous future.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Page details
- Date modified: