2019-2020 Annual Report

Overview

The Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group (CEDAG) was established as part of Canada’s commitments under the Trade and Environment Chapter under the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). We are ten volunteers that were appointed in June 2019 by the Hon. Catherine McKenna, then the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). We have accomplished a considerable amount in our first year. First, we were briefed on implementation processes under CETA and what it means for advancing sustainable development and environmental protection in Canada. Secondly, last November we participated in the annual Civil Society Forum and a Canada Domestic Advisory Groups – EU Domestic Advisory Group (DAG to DAG) meeting. Thirdly, in March the CEDAG - with support from ECCC - held a public Civil Society Workshop with experts and stakeholders, which was followed by an internal meeting of CEDAG at which we discussed our priorities for the coming year. CEDAG has issued two letters of advice to the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Key Principles

CEDAG has identified three key principles which we believe will facilitate the successful implementation of CETA, and particularly the Environment Chapter. We respectfully encourage the Government of Canada to adopt the following principles:

Priority Topics

In fulfillment of our advisory mandate, the CEDAG may identify gaps in Canada’s CETA Trade and Environment policy, review CETA-related environmental projects which Canada proposes to undertake with the EU, and provide guidance on agenda items for meetings of the Civil Society Forum and the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Committee.

CEDAG has identified three priority topics, which we aim to investigate further and upon which our future advice will be focused. These interrelated priorities are aligned with Canada’s priorities:

CEDAG is aware of the formal Early Review of the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Chapter (also referred to as the TSD Early Review), which includes both the Labour and Environment Chapters. CEDAG supports Canada’s approach of including ambitious and enforceable environment provisions in trade agreements. Further, CEDAG encourages the Government of Canada to focus this Early Review on seeking agreement to adopt measures (such as monetary penalties) to ensure Chapters 22-24 are enforceable in line with the rest of CETA. Our view is that it is too early for a comprehensive TSD review but that Canada’s efforts should focus on achieving agreement with the EU on measures to enhance the enforceability of the existing provisions.

Results and Contributions

CEDAG has issued two letters to the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada. The first was in May as an outcome of our March Workshop and meeting, in which we shared our key principles and priority topics for the coming year – as noted above. The second was in July, in which we shared perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic and the CETA. This letter included six questions of immediate concern to CEDAG as the Government of Canada embarks on recovery planning. These were:

  1. Prevention of a rebounding of greenhouse gas emissions as Canada recovers. Is the government committed to taking measures to reinforce and incentivize the pandemic-related reductions?
  2. What is the government doing to match the ambition of the European Green New Deal and achieving our respective environmental commitments?
  3. How is Canada considering CETA in its Blue Economy Strategy and more broadly when considering actions to address marine biodiversity issues?
  4. What steps are being taken to enhance transparency and access by civil society to information about negotiations on trade and the environment under CETA?
  5. How will the federal government entrench social inclusion in building an environmentally sustainable trading relationship with the EU under CETA and in implementing a green economic recovery plan?
  6. What steps has Canada taken to ensure it (and the provinces) has not derogated from its environmental protection obligations?

Events

Next Steps

As the CEDAG works on its current CETA priority topics:

  1. climate change and 2050 net zero emissions;
  2. the circular economy and regulatory cooperation;
  3. biological diversity, it will be considering how the Government of Canada can utilize the environmental chapter of the CETA to drive an environmentally sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEDAG Membership

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