Archived: Departmental Performance Report 2015 to 2016, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 2

Results Highlights

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), working with other federal departments, with provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners, as well as with other key partners and stakeholders, realized significant achievements in its effort to address climate change and ensure a clean, prosperous and sustainable economy. A number of these achievements are highlighted below.

• In December 2015, ECCC led a broad and inclusive delegation to the 21^st Conference of the Parties in Paris, reaching an historic, ambitious and balanced agreement with 194 other nations to fight climate change. The Department immediately began to prepare for the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, implement Canada’s international commitments and to support broader climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
• To reinforce global efforts on the Paris Agreement, ECCC advocated for climate action in other international fora including the G7 and G20; the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate and the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition. Canada’s leadership was recognized when it became co-Chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a voluntary international coalition of governments, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as methane and black carbon.
• As part of Canada’s unprecedented $2.65 billion climate finance pledge, ECCC also made commitments to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change through planned investments such as $10 million to improve Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, particularly in small island states and least developed countries, as well as $35 million to reduce emissions of SLCPs.
• A meeting of First Ministers, held on March 3, 2016 (within 90 days of the Paris Conference), resulted in the signing of the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which commits to concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to transition the country to a stronger, more resilient, low-carbon economy.
• Following the First Ministers meeting, ECCC launched a partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous organizations to establish a pan-Canadian framework for addressing climate change. An electronic platform Have Your Say on Climate Change was designed to enable Canadians to contribute ideas, innovations and comment on Canada’s approach to climate change.

ECCC also continued to collaborate with provinces, territories and stakeholders to advance the implementation of the Air Quality Management System, to better protect the health of Canadians and the environment. Efforts include continuing the process to establish stronger Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards; new regulatory and non-regulatory industrial emissions requirements from major industrial sectors and equipment groups; sharing information and identifying areas of mutual interest to address emissions from mobile sources; and preparing to publish the first State of the Air report on air quality across Canada. The above highlights represent achievements in two of ECCC’s key priority areas-addressing climate change and clean air. In the following pages of the Departmental Performance Report, you will find many other accomplishments relating to protecting species, wildlife and nature, Canada’s freshwater resources and ecosystems, and providing important climate and weather related information.

* Figures refer to total 2015-16 departmental funds used (actual spending) and the actual FTEs and not strictly the selected achievements highlighted above.