Archived: Departmental Results Report 2017 to 2018: Department of Environment, chapter 2

Results at a glance

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) delivered on federal commitments throughout 2017-18 by tackling pollution and waste in our air, water, and soil, protecting Canadians from threats posed by the environment, encouraging the transition to a clean growth economy, and protecting our unique biodiversity and wildlife. These efforts have been undertaken in support of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, and expressed through our leadership on the international stage.

On climate change, ECCC continues to tackle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase Canada’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, and drive clean growth through the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (the Pan-Canadian Framework). These mitigation measures, and others under the Pan-Canadian Framework, have contributed to reducing Canada’s emissions. Canada’s most recent report to the United Nations (December 2017) shows a widespread decline in projected greenhouse gas emissions across all economic sectors and the biggest improvement in our emissions outlook since reporting began.

• Pricing pollution is a key component of Canada’s plan to address climate change, and will support our transition to a competitive and low-carbon economy. The department has prepared the legislative and regulatory framework for the federal carbon pollution pricing system to ensure it will be in place at the start of 2019.
• To complement the upcoming price on pollution, ECCC also developed a number of mitigation measures which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). These include proposed regulations to accelerate the phase out of heavily polluting traditional coal-fired power, strong standards for natural gas-fired power plants, limiting pollution from heavy-duty vehicles through regulations, and reducing emissions of methane from the oil and gas sector through regulations. ECCC is also developing a clean fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the increased use of lower carbon fuels, energy sources and technologies. These measures have the added benefit of helping Canadians to breathe easier with improved air quality.
• To support commitments by the provincial and territorial governments under the Pan-Canadian Framework, and encourage additional GHG reductions across Canada, ECCC launched the $1.4 billion Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. This included the $500 million Low Carbon Economy Challenge Fund, designed to support organizations and communities reduce their emissions.
• To increase climate resilience, ECCC is working to implement the Canadian Centre for Climate Services to provide tools and support that will help Canadians understand the climate-related risks they face, and make decisions to address those risks. ECCC also launched the Expert Panel on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Results to seek advice on measuring progress in adaptation.
• In recognition of the importance of working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples to address climate change priorities and pursue clean growth, ECCC led the establishment of three distinct senior-level bilateral tables with each of the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. These tables support action on climate change and the continued implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework, ensuring that Indigenous peoples are full and effective partners in this regard.
• On protecting our air and water, and supporting wildlife and biodiversity, Budget 2018 launched an investment of $1.35 billion in nature conservation and other collaborative work with Indigenous peoples and other partners to conserve national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries. This investment includes the creation of a five-year, $500 million Canada Nature Fund to enhance our capacity to protect and recover species at risk. ECCC also made significant progress on the latter by reducing the backlog of species eligible for listing under the Species at Risk Act, and the department is on track to eliminate the backlog by 2019–20. ECCC and the Government of Alberta, building on Indigenous knowledge and robust scientific data, established a renewed commitment to better monitor and understand the cumulative effects of oil sands activities on ecosystems, air and biodiversity in northeastern Alberta. In addition, new funding under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative targeted ecosystem health in nearshore waters.
• Taking action on pollution and waste, new regulations under the Environmental Enforcement Act (EEA) came into effect, which provide ECCC enforcement officers the authority to issue monetary penalties, and to direct the  resulting monies to the Environmental Damages Fund. ECCC launched work with provinces and territories to develop a national plastic waste strategy, and led the endorsement of an international zero plastic waste charter at the June 2018 summit of G-7 leaders, which called for coordinated action to address the 150 million tonnes of plastic waste in the world’s oceans.
• On critical services to Canadians, the Department issued 480,000 weather forecasts, watches and warnings. ECCC saw the successful installation of its first new weather radar in Radisson, Saskatchewan, in 2017. A total of 32 radars are planned to be installed across the country by 2023. The department also completed onboarding of its high-performance computer in September 2017 that will provide more accurate and timely forecasting for Canadians over the coming years.
• In further support of our collaboration with Indigenous peoples, the Department also established a joint workplan with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami to more effectively advance our shared priorities, as part of a renewed Inuit-Crown relationship. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change and her Alberta counterpart also brought together an Indigenous Circle of Experts to advise governments on achieving the ambitious target of conserving biodiversity through a connected network of at least 17% of Canada’s land and freshwater by 2020.
• Finally, the department continued to lead on major international initiatives. Canada hosted the first Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action in Montreal to advance international climate discussions, and played an instrumental role in encouraging countries to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol which will help phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons. Canada also supported the launch of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform, which serves as a global voice on climate change for the world’s Indigenous peoples. Canada co-created the Powering Past Coal Alliance with the United Kingdom.

* Figures refer, as reported in the Public Accounts, to total 2017–18 departmental funds used (actual spending) and the actual FTEs and not strictly the selected achievements highlighted above.

For more information on the Department’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.