Appearance before the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development – May 28, 2024

Overview Of ECCC's 2024-25 Main Estimates

Issue

• Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) reference levels for the 2024-25 Main Estimates are presented at $2,761.0 million.

Points To Register

• ECCC's Main Estimates total $2,761.0 million which represents an increase of $314.9 million or 12.9% from the 2023-24 Main Estimates.
• This increase is mainly due to new funding to support the successful long-term implementation of Canada's National Adaptation Strategy to respond to urgent climate risks, for the renewal and reinvestment in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services, to implement a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan including a historic investment to address freshwater challenges and to establish the Canada Water Agency.
• The increase is primarily offset by the sunsetting of funding for the Chemical Management Plan (CMP) for which Health Canada is currently in the process of seeking renewal, as well as the refocusing of government spending for the Low Carbon Economy Fund which includes the redirection of a portion of the funding towards Natural Resources Canada's Greener Homes Grant and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability programs.
• With the funding received in these Estimates, ECCC will continue to
  • provide national leadership to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas and short-lived climate pollutant emissions;
  • engage Indigenous people in clean growth and climate change;
  • prevent pollution in ecosystems, water, and air;
  • conserve and protect Canada's wildlife and habitat, and recover species at risk; and,
  • provide weather and environmental information to make decisions on public health and safety.
• It is important to note that 2024-25 Main Estimates is comprised of $43.1M in reductions which represent the first year of the 3-year implementation plan with respect to Refocusing Government Spending Exercise.

2024-25 main estimates in comparison to the 2023-24 main estimates

• The $314.9 million increase is composed of:
  • A voted spending authority increase of $165.0 million in operating expenditures (Vote 1);
  • A voted spending authority decrease of $8.7 million in capital expenditures (Vote 5);
  • A voted spending authority increase of $148.2 million in grants and contributions expenditures (Vote 10); and
  • A statutory funding increase of $10.4 million for the contributions to employee benefit plans.
• 2024-25 Main Estimates include the following increases compared to the 2023-24 Main Estimates:
  • $552.8 million to support the successful long-term implementation of the National Adaptation Strategy to respond to urgent climate risks including a $530M transfer under the Green Municipal Fund to support adaptation initiatives.
  • $63.2 million to implement a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan (FWAP), including a historic investment to address freshwater challenges and support clean-up efforts in several freshwater lakes and rivers as well as to establish a stand-alone Canada Water Agency (CWA).
  • $56.6 million in permanent funding to renew and maintain Canada's world-class integrated Meteorological Services to provide Canadians with life-saving information on weather, water quantity, climate, ice, and air quality conditions across Canada on a 24/7 basis.
  • $34.2 million to continue efforts to protect species at risk (Enhanced Nature Legacy) through monitoring, protection and promoting the recovery of Species at Risk and the implementation of the Government's statutory obligations under the Species at Risk Act.
  • $30.6 million to successfully support the implementation of key climate mitigation initiatives outlined in Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan through the ongoing development, implementation, and administration of carbon pricing and of the Clean Fuel Regulations which are critical to achieving Canada's 2030 emission reduction targets.
  • $12.3 million to further the Government's commitment to restore, better manage, and conserve Canada's natural and managed ecosystems by implementing Natural Climate Solutions in Canada, with the aim to deliver 3 megatons in greenhouse gas emission reductions annually by 2030, while halting and reversing nature loss and creating green jobs.
  • $7.4 million in permanent funding to reinvest in Canada's world-class Hydro-Meteorological Services with the aim to retain Meteorologists who provide specialized decision support services to emergency management organizations and the public during significant weather events and to continue the development and adoption of warning and forecast system technologies and modelling processes.
  • $78.8 million employee compensation increases associated with concluded collective agreement bargaining.
• Offset by decreases of:
  • $433.5 million in large part due to recently announced B2023 reductions to Low Carbon Economy Fund resources as well as transfers to enhance Natural Resources Canada's  Greener Homes Grant and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) programs.
  • $27.3 million for the sunsetting of Chemical Management Plan funding which helped reduce risks from harmful chemicals to the environment and Canadians and for which Health Canada is currently planning to seek renewed funding.
  • $18.0 million for the sunsetting of funding for the Revitalization of Canada's Weather Services which served to modernize and affordably life-cycle Canada's weather radar network that was fully successfully implemented.
  • $13.5 million to build a Strong Arctic and Northern Communities as the Eureka runaway recapitalization work achieved significant completion in 2023-24.
  • $12.0 million due to fluctuations between fiscal years in the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan funding used to reduce risk to human health and the environment as well as decreased environmental potential liability.
  • $16.7 million for various other smaller initiatives and technical adjustments.

Main estimates – variances by vote

Vote 1 Operating expenditures: an increase of $165.0 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The increase in Vote 1 is mainly related:
  • to $50.3 million for the renewal of capacity funding including specialists for testing and implementing new technologies as well as professional services for graphics production and costs for radar infrastructure and repairs to maintain Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services which provide Canadians with life-saving information on weather, water quantity, climate, ice, and air quality conditions across Canada on a 24/7 basis.
  • to $41.1 million to implement a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan (FWAP), including historic investments in staff, supplies, and professional services to support clean-up efforts in several freshwater lakes and rivers, conduct chemical analysis and fieldwork, and implement a nutrient program as well to establish, design and support a stand-alone Canada Water Agency (CWA) including the provision of enabling services such as IM/IT.
  • to $25.3 million to provide additional capacity and professional services for economic analysis and modeling, technical policy support, expert technical support and physical sciences work to support the ongoing development, implementation, and administration of Carbon Pricing and of the Clean Fuel Regulations which are critical to achieving emission reduction targets, as well as professional services for the development and hosting of the credit and tracking solution (CATS).
  • to $78.8 million for employee compensation increases associated with concluded collective agreement bargaining.
  • It is important to note that 2024-25 Main Estimates is comprised of $25.8M in Vote 1 Operating reductions which represent the first year of the 3-year implementation plan with respect to Refocusing Government Spending Exercise.

Vote 5 Capital expenditures: a decrease of $8.7 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The decrease in Vote 5 is mainly related:
  • to $17.8 million for the sunsetting of funding for the Revitalization of Canada's Weather Services which was used to modernize and affordably life-cycle Canada's weather radar network allowing Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to continue to fulfill its mandate to warn Canadians of severe weather and weather-related event.
  • to a $5.5 million reduction in the funding profile as work on the runway for the recapitalization of Eureka Infrastructure achieved significant completion in 2023-24.
• Offset by increases of:
  • $3.3 million to continue pursuing ongoing land acquisitions to conserve Canada's land and freshwater, protect species, advance Indigenous reconciliation, and increase access to nature, as part of the Enhanced Nature Legacy.
  • $3.2 million to support the reinvestment in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services for field testing of new technologies and implementation of new technologies including costs to maintain infrastructure, contracted services, and maintenance requirement.
  • $2.8 million to address infrastructure integrity issues to complete the transformation of the National Hydrological Services for adapting Canada's Weather and Water Services to Climate Change.
  • $2.4 million to develop software and to acquire portable emissions measurement systems to able to swiftly screen vehicles and engines for emission issues, including defeat devices, related to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Transportation and Waste Sectors.

Vote 10 Grants and Contributions expenditures: an increase of $148.2 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The increase in Vote 10 is mainly due:
  • to new funding to respond to urgent climate risks including an up-front multiyear contribution funding of $530M in 2024-25 under the Green Municipal Fund to provide funding to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support adaptation initiatives.
  • to $13.3 million to support Indigenous peoples' capacity building, science, and stewardship activities, and support on-the-ground action to restore, protect and enhance Great Lakes as part of the Freshwater Action Plan.
  • to a $14.9 million increase in the Enhanced Nature Legacy funding profile to Indigenous, Universities, Government, and not-for-profit organizations to support efforts to continue to monitor, protect and promote the recovery of Species at Risk.
  • This is offset by significant reductions for the Low Carbon Economy Fund as a result of B2023 realignment of previously announced spending which resulted in transfers to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to enhance their Greener Homes Grant program and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) program.
  • It is important to note that 2024-25 Main Estimates is comprised of $14.5M in Vote 10 G&C reductions which represent the first year of the 3-year implementation plan with respect to Refocusing Government Spending Exercise.

Grants and contributions

Environment and Climate Change Canada's 2024-25 Main Estimates include $1,382.4 million in voted grants and contributions composed of $35.0 million in grants and $1,347.4 million in contributions.

1. Voted Grants - Total $35.0 million including:
   • Grants in support of Canada's International Climate Finance Program: $23,460,000
     • The purpose of these grants is to promote change towards addressing climate change and policies in developing countries. The overall objective of the Program is to help developing countries transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature positive and inclusive sustainable development.
     • The increase of $0.5 million under Grants in support of Canada's International Climate Finance Program is mainly due to a realignment between Terms and Conditions for International Climate Finance.
   • Grant for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: $3,740,000
     • The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. This grant enables Canada to meet up to 20 per cent of its annual obligation to the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol to support projects that assist developing countries comply with their commitments under the Montreal Protocol.
     • The increase of $0.2 million under Grant for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is mainly due to Treasury Board Submission funding profile changes for International Climate Finance.
   • Grants in support of Taking Action on Clean Growth and Climate Change: $3,650,000
     • These grants enable engagement with municipalities, provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples, other stakeholders to support and coordinate the implementation of the PCF on Clean Growth and Climate Change; support actions that reduce Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; develop regulatory instruments; support businesses and Canadians to adapt and become more resilient to climate change; increase awareness as well as youth, student and Indigenous participation in climate change initiatives; and contribute to international climate change actions to increase global benefits.
     • The decrease of $0.7 millions under Grants in support of Taking Action on Clean Growth and Climate Change is mainly due to the sunset of Carbon Pollution Proceeds Return program.
   • Grants in support of the Low Carbon Economy Fund: $2,500,000
     • These grants support incremental actions to current plans that materially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieve significant reductions within the period of Canada's first Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. The LCEF will also support the implementation of new technologies and Canada's long-term transition towards cleaner growth through the decarbonisation of the economy.
     • The decrease of $2.5 million under Grants in support of the Low Carbon Economy Fund is mainly due to funding profile changes.
   • Grant under the Innovative Solutions Canada program: $1,600,000
     • This grant supports the Innovative Solutions Canada program dedicated to supporting the scale up and growth of Canada's innovators and entrepreneurs by having the federal government act as a first customer. The Program allows Participating Departments/Agencies to support the scale up of Canadian small businesses through early-stage, pre-commercial R&D. The Program helps to develop a domestic market for early-stage, pre-commercial innovations; provides a mechanism for government to partner with innovative small businesses on the creation of unique IP and novel solutions; and facilitates the subsequent testing and validation of prototypes, as well as prepares a pathway to commercialization and purchase of novel new products by government and non-government customers.
   • Grants in support of Weather and Environmental Services for Canadians: $44,000
     • This grant supports the continued research and the development of highly qualified experts in the scientific areas related to Environment and Climate Change Canada's mandate, such as atmospheric study and climate change.
2. Voted Contributions - Total of $1,347.4 million including:
   • Contributions in support of Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) for the Green Municipal Fund: $530,000,000
     • The fund is to assist Municipal Governments to leverage investments in Municipal Environmental Projects, to provide grants, loans and/or loan guarantees to Eligible Recipients for Eligible Projects, and to provide grants to Low Carbon Cities Canada (LC3s) to establish endowments that will support LC3-FCM Collaboration on Community Climate Action projects.
     • The increase of $530.0 million under the Contributions to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for the Green Municipal Fund is due to the new funding to support the Canada's National Adaptation Strategy to enable a one-time, up-front, multi-year transfer to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for adaptation initiatives.
   • Contributions in support of the Canada Nature Fund: $309,608,419
     • The Canada Nature Fund will support recipients to conserve, establish and/or expand protected areas, secure private land, support provincial and territorial species protection efforts and help build Indigenous capacity to conserve land and species. It will support and enable others to undertake actions that conserve wildlife and protect and improve their habitat.
     • The increase of $18.5 million under Contributions in support of the Canada Nature Fund is mainly due to funding profile change to conserve Canadaʼs land and freshwater, protect species, advance Indigenous reconciliation, and increase access to nature and British Columbia Old Growth Nature Fund.
   • Contributions in support of the Low Carbon Economy Fund: $226,993,665
     • These contributions support incremental actions to current plans that materially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieve significant reductions within the period of Canada's first Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. The LCEF will also support the implementation of new technologies and Canada's long-term transition towards cleaner growth through the decarbonisation of the economy.
     • The decrease of  million under Contributions in support of the Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF) is due to the Refocusing Government Spending exercise (B2023), the realignment of previously announced spending (B2023) and to the transfer to enhance Natural Resources Canada's Greener Homes Grant program and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program.
   • Contributions in support of Conserving Nature: $147,966,304
     • The purpose of these contributions is to advance conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development by supporting projects that enable conservation, protection and recover of Canada's wildlife including; species at risk and their habitat (including critical habitat) and healthy populations of migratory birds. These contributions will also support Canada's biodiversity strategy and related domestic and international partnership interests, including the establishment and management of protected areas, Indigenous protected and conserved areas and Indigenous people's capacity and participation in conservation.
     • The increase of $8.8 million under Contributions in support of Conserving Nature is mainly due to funding profile changes to implement climate solutions in Canada.
   • Contributions in support of Preventing and Managing Pollution: $46,669,664
     • These contributions support the collaboration with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and others to develop and administer environmental standards, guidelines, regulations and other risk management instruments to reduce releases and monitor levels of contaminants in air, water and soil; promote and enforce compliance with environmental laws and regulations; and administer on the ground projects that have positive impact on the environment. 
     • The increase of $13.6 million under Contributions in support of Preventing and Managing Pollution is mainly due to new funding for Freshwater Action Plan and Canada Water Agency and to funding profile changes for the Trans Mountain Expansion.
   • Contributions in support of Taking Action on Clean Growth and Climate Change: $32,253,411
     • These contributions support engagement with municipalities, provinces, territories, Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders to assist and coordinate the implementation of the PCF on Clean Growth and Climate Change; support actions that reduce Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; develop regulatory instruments; support businesses and Canadians to adapt and become more resilient to climate change; increase awareness as well as youth, student and Indigenous participation in climate change initiatives; and contribute to international climate change actions to increase global benefits.
     • The increase of $6.4 million under Contributions in support of Taking Action on Clean Growth and Climate Change is mainly due to new funding for Canada's National Adaptation Strategy, Canadian climate institute and Climate change communications, public education, and advertising.
   • Contributions in support of Canada's International Climate Finance Program: $22,000,000
     • The purpose of these contributions is to promote change towards addressing climate change and policies in developing countries. The overall objective of the Program is to help developing countries transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature positive and inclusive sustainable development.
     • The increase of $0.3 million under the Contributions in support of Canada's International Climate Finance Program is mainly due to funding profile changes.
   • Contributions in support of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy: $18,071,803
     • Environment and Climate Change Canada's Science Horizons Youth Internship Program (Science Horizons) falls under the Youth Employment and Skills Program led by Employment and Social Development Canada. The objective of Science Horizons is to develop opportunities for youth with post-secondary education by providing eligible employers with wage subsidies to hire youth with a post-secondary education who are eligible to work in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) linked to the green economy.
   • Contributions in support of Predicting Weather and Environmental Conditions:  $3,671,753
     • This contribution encourages and supports international capacity building activities to enable access, understanding and use information on changing weather, water, air quality and climate conditions.
     • The increase of $0.2 million under Contributions in support of Predicting Weather and Environmental Conditions is mainly due to new funding for Canada's National Adaptation Strategy and to reinvest in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological services.
   • Assessed contribution to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC): $3,460,777
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), established by Canada, the United States and Mexico, under the terms of the North American Agreement for Environmental Cooperation. It addresses environmental concerns in North America, helps prevent potential trade and environmental conflicts among the NAFTA partners, and promotes the effective enforcement of domestic environmental laws in the three countries. This agreement is in place since 1994.
   • Contributions in support of the Impact Assessment and Regulatory System: $3,350,400
     • The purpose of these contributions is to support the “Cumulative Effects, Open Science and Evidence” approach which includes the development of an open science and data platform; supporting regional assessments; conducting strategic assessments, including ones on climate change and biodiversity; and coordinating departmental, federal and inter-jurisdictional efforts to implement the proposed approach to addressing the cumulative effects of natural resource development.
   • Assessed contribution to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): $2,567,785
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations and the UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behavior of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources. As one of the most weather-sensitive countries in the world, Canada plays a major role in shaping the world's weather and climate. This membership allows Canada to selectively participate in areas of the WMO agenda where mutual benefits are derived. This agreement is in place since 1950.
     • The increase of $0.4 million under assessed contribution to the World Meteorological Organization is due to realignment between Terms and Conditions due to increased assessment and overall exchange rate fluctuation.
   • Assessed contribution to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): $245,000
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to CITES which is an international agreement between governments with the aim to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The CITES core programming, as agreed by the Conference of the Parties, contributes to protection and conservation of biodiversity. This agreement is in place since 1975.
   • Assessed contribution to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention): $206,140
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to the Convention on Wetlands, known more widely as the Ramsar Convention. The Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their Wetlands of International Importance and to plan for the sustainable use of all of the wetlands in their territories. This agreement is in place since 1981.
   • Assessed contribution to the Minamata Convention on Mercury: $200,000
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a multi-lateral environmental treaty under the United Nations Environmental Programme with the objective of protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. This agreement is in place since 2017.
   • Assessed contribution to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): $121,214
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to the Convention on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international agreement between governments with the aim to act as a forum for countries committed to democracy ands the market economy, providing a setting to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practices, and co-ordinate domestic and international policies. ECCC is the lead agency responsible for implementing OECD's Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals. This agreement is in place since 1978.
   • Assessed contribution to the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR): $38,000
     • This contribution supports Canada's membership to the INBAR which is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving the social, economic, and environmental benefits afforded to producers and users of bamboo and rattan. INBAR connects a global network of partners from the government, private, and not-for-profit sectors in over 50 countries to define and implement a global agenda for sustainable development through bamboo and rattan. This agreement is in place since 1997.

Refocusing Government Spending

Q1. What is Refocusing Government Spending?

• In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $15.4 billion over five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.5 billion annually after that by refocusing government spending, including spending on travel and professional services. Through this exercise, the government is finding savings from across government that can be directed towards key priorities such as health care and the clean economy.
• In the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, the government announced that it will extend its Budget 2023 efforts to refocus government spending, with departments and agencies generating additional savings of $345.6 million in 2025-26, and $691 million ongoing. Combined with previously announced savings, the government will be saving $4.8 billion per year in 2026-27 and ongoing and returning the public service closer to its pre-pandemic growth track.
• In Budget 2024, the government announced the implementation of the second phase of refocusing government spending to achieve savings primarily through natural attrition in the federal public service including:
  • Starting on April 1, 2025, federal public service organizations will be required to cover a portion of increased operating costs through their existing resources.
  • Over the next four years, based on historical rates of natural attrition, the government expects the public service population to decline by approximately 5,000 full-time equivalent positions from an estimated population of roughly 368,000 as of March 31, 2024.
• Altogether, this will achieve the remaining savings of $4.2 billion over four years, starting in 2025-26, and $1.3 billion ongoing towards the refocusing government spending target.

Q2. What are the impacts on Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)?

• In support of this commitment, ECCC will contribute the following towards refocusing efforts outlined in Budget 2023: 
  • 2024-25: $43,061,850
  • 2025-26: $63,482,805
  • 2026-27 and after: $91,008,473

• ECCC will achieve this through the following:
  • Reducing professional services by ensuring greater alignment of contracting to priorities and reducing discretionary spending;
  • Reducing travel through effective planning and use of the hybrid work model;
  • Reducing staffing levels through attrition and vacancy management;
  • Reducing a proportion of grants and contribution expenditures;
  • Leveraging efficiencies in internal management and enabling functions including rationalizing spending on common line items, streamlining processes, adjusting the scale and nature of support functions while leveraging technology;
• ECCC will work to ensure that impacts are minimized as we adjust our efforts to these reductions.

• ECCC's contribution towards “phase two” savings announced in the 2023 FES and Budget 2024 has not yet been determined and are therefore not included in the financials above.

Overview Of Parks Canada 2024-25 Main Estimates

Context

• The Agency's reference levels for the 2024-25 Main Estimates are presented at $1,229.2 million.

Points to register

• The 2024-25 Main Estimates allocates $1,229.2 million which is composed of:
  • A voted spending authority amount of $1,000.7 million (81%) which consists of
  • $657.8 million in Operating expenditures, including grants and contributions (Vote 1);
  • $307.2 million in Capital (Vote 5); and
  • $35.7 million for the New Parks and Historic Sites Account (Vote 10).
  • A statutory amount of $228.5 million (19%) which consists of:
  • $63.5 million for the Employee Benefit Plan; and
  • $165.0 million as an equivalent to revenues to be collected.
• This represents a net decrease of $64.8 million, or 5%, compared to the 2023-24 Main Estimates. The principal changes include:

• With the funding received in Main Estimates, Parks Canada will continue to protect, present, and manage Canada's existing national historic sites, national parks, heritage canals, national marine conservation areas and one national urban park for the benefit and enjoyment of Canadians. It will also support Parks Canada's work with partners for the creation or enhancement of new national parks, national marine conservation areas and cultural landscapes as well as the creation or enhancement of urban parks and ecological corridors.

Main estimates – Explanations of main variances

The Agency's 2024-25 Main Estimates reflect a net decrease of $64.8 million, or 5%, compared to previous year's Main Estimates. Following are brief descriptions of the major items:

• An increase of $52.7 million in funding resulting from the ratification of the collective agreements

  Transfer received from the Treasury Board Secretariat related to compensation adjustments resulting in increased funding of $52.7 million for 2024-25; $56.1 million for 2025-26 and an ongoing permanent increase of $56.0 million to the Agency's reference levels.

• An increase of $10.0 million in funding as an equivalent to revenues to be collected

  An ongoing increase of $10 million in funding as an equivalent to revenues to be collected resulting from the conduct of operations pursuant to section 20 of the Parks Canada Agency Act is required to account for projected increases in revenues. This adjustment increases the statutory authority from $155.0 million to $165.0 million.

• An increase of $8.5 million due to renewed funding to continue efforts to protect species at risk (horizontal initiative)

  Environment and Climate Change Canada led a submission with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Parks Canada to seek $184.0 million over three years. Of this amount, Parks Canada obtained $26.1 million over three years to continue to monitor, protect, and promote the recovery of species at risk through the implementation of the Government's statutory obligations under the Species at Risk Act as well as through other Species at Risk Wildlife programs.

• An increase of $2.2 million due to new and renewed funding for the Implementation of three Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreements in Nunavut and Labrador

  Parks Canada obtained $16.3 million over ten years to fulfill Canada's treaty obligations to Inuit and support the implementation of three legally required Impact and Benefit Agreements in the Nunavut and Labrador settlement area: Baffin (Auyuittuq, Sirmilik and Quttinirpaaq National Parks in Nunavut), Ukkusiksalik National Parks (Nunavut) and Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve (Labrador). This funding will advance Inuit-led conservation, ensure Inuit have sufficient resources to participate fully in cooperative management of five national parks and meets Canada's commitment to working with Indigenous peoples to support political, economic, social and cultural development.

• An increase of $0.8 million resulting from new funding to settle land related claims and litigation

  Parks Canada obtained $15.0 million over five years for this initiative. This new funding is to settle litigation brought against Canada by First Nations, to address historical injustices and renew nation-to-nation relationships.

• A decrease of $23.7 million due to the impact of the Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending

  Budget 2023 announced measures to ensure Canadians' tax dollars are used efficiently and invested in the priorities that matter most to Canadians. To that effect, Budget 2023 proposed reductions to consulting, other professional services, and travel by roughly 15 per cent and reductions of roughly 3 per cent on operations and transfer payments. The adjustments to Parks Canada's reference levels in response to these measures represent a reduction of $23.7 million for 2024-25, $22.7 million for 2025-26, $18.1 million for 2026-27 and an ongoing reduction of $18.4 million in future years.

• A net decrease of $59.3 million in funding for Interim Critical Capital Assets Support

  The net decrease reflects the reduction in the annual funding profile for the Interim Critical Capital Assets Support.

• A net decrease $56.0 million for a number of initiatives, included in previous Main Estimates, with changes in the approved annual funding levels

  The net decrease reflects changes in the approved annual funding levels of the other initiatives listed in the table above.

Main estimates – Variances by vote

Vote 1 Operating expenditures, including grants and contributions: a decrease of $5.5 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The decrease in Vote 1 is mainly related to the reduction of Parks Canada's temporary funding for the Interim Critical Capital Assets Support as well as the impact of the Budget 2023 measure of Refocusing Government Spending. These reductions are partially offset by an increase in funding resulting from the ratification of the collective agreements.

Vote 5 Capital: a decrease of $23.9 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The decrease in Vote 5 is mainly related to the reduction of Parks Canada's temporary funding for the Interim Critical Capital Assets Support as well as the reduction in funding for Enhanced Nature Legacy. Of note, the Budget 2024 announcement has given new funding to Parks Canada for Capital Assets, which will be reflected in the Agency's 2024-25 Supplementary Estimates.

Vote 10 Payments to the New Parks and Historic Sites Account: a decrease of $45.7 million compared to 2023-24 Main Estimates

• The New Park and Historic Sites account is a special purpose account into which the Agency can deposit Operating (goods and services), Contributions and Capital funds to set them aside for the specific purpose of creating or expanding national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas or other protected heritage areas.
• The amounts shown in the Main Estimates represent the annual deposit into the account and vary from year to year depending on the funds approved and planned for the establishment or expansion of sites.
• Any deposit into the NPHS Account demonstrates Parks Canada's commitment and ongoing work to establish national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas or other protected heritage areas.

Overview of IAAC's 2024-2025 Main Estimates

Issue

The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's (Agency) reference levels for the 2024–2025 Main Estimates are presented at $106.6 million.

Points to register

• The Agency's Main Estimates total funding is $106.6 million, which represents an increase of $7.3 million or 7% in total funding from the 2023–2024 Main Estimates.
• There is a net increase over 2023–2024 levels of approximately $7.3 million due to an increase in operating funds ($7.0 million), a minor increase in a statutory vote for the employee benefits program ($0.5 million) combined with a small reduction in grants and contributions ($0.2 million).
• Budget 2023 “Refocusing Government Spending to Deliver for Canadians” planned savings are accounted for in these Main Estimates. In 2024–2025 the Agency's reference levels have been reduced by $2.5 million ($2.3 million in operating; $0.2 million in grants and contributions).
• These authorities include potential revenues up to a maximum of $8 million that are respendable. Under the current cost recovery regulations, the Agency has the authority to recover certain costs from proponents directly related to the exercise of the Agency's responsibilities during assessments by review panels.
• By Vote: $106.6 million
  • $77.4 million of the Agency's authorities are allotted from Vote 1: Operating expenditures, to conduct assessments;
  • $21.2 million are allotted from Vote 5: Grants and contributions, to support public and Indigenous participation in assessments; and
  • The remainder $8.0 million is from a statutory vote for the employee benefit program.
• By Purpose: $106.6 million
  • $85.3 million is devoted to Impact Assessments. This figure includes the Agency's $8.0 million in vote netted revenue, which is recoverable from proponents; and
  • $21.3 million is devoted to Internal Services.
• With the funding received in the Main Estimates, the Agency will continue to deliver high-quality assessments in support of government decisions about major projects under both the Impact Assessment Act and the previous Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012.

Voted Grants and Contributions

• The Agency's 2024–2025 Main Estimates include $21.2 million for grants and contributions.
• The Agency's grant and contribution programs provide funding support to individuals, non-profits, and Indigenous groups to improve scientific information and Indigenous knowledge; enhance public participation; contribute to Indigenous reconciliation and build Indigenous capacity; and promote transparency, efficiency, and timeliness.
• The funding is divided among the following programs:
• Contributions: $17.2 million
  • Indigenous Capacity Support Component: supports the development of local and regional Indigenous knowledge and capacity to effectively participate in, or undertake project impact assessments, regional assessments, policy engagement, impact assessment monitoring and follow-up activities, and Impact Assessment Act (IAA)-related activities.
  • Policy Dialogue Component: supports the provision of external advice and participation in the development of policies, methodologies, tools, and practices related to impact assessment, regional assessments, and strategic assessments.
  • Participant Funding Component: to help recipients prepare for and participate in key stages of impact assessments undertaken, as well as regional and strategic assessments.
  • Contribution to the Province of Quebec – James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement ($0.4 million): to maintain and provide funding for the secretariats supporting the James Bay Advisory Committee on the Environment and the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee.
• Grants: $4.0 million
  • Participant Funding Component: to help recipients prepare for and participate in key stages of impact assessments undertaken, as well as regional and strategic assessments.
  • Research Component: supports impact assessment-related research.

Background / Current status

• The 2022 Fall Economic Statement proposed funding for the Agency over five years beginning in 2023–2024. The funding will allow full implementation of the objectives of the impact assessment process and improve efficiency in order to respond to a growing number of major projects being proposed.
• In August 2019, the IAA came into force giving the Agency the mandate to lead federal environmental and impact assessments. On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision on the constitutionality of the IAA. In a joint statement from the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Justice, the Government of Canada accepted this decision, and committed to following the guidance and collaborating with provinces and Indigenous groups to ensure an impact assessment process that works for all Canadians. The Government of Canada, with the support of the Agency, is undertaking immediate steps to make the legislative changes required to respect the Court's decision. On October 26, 2023, the Government of Canada released the Statement on the Interim Administration of the Impact Assessment Act Pending Legislative Amendments to ensure projects currently in the assessment process have an orderly and clear path forward.
• The Agency temporarily paused its cost recovery activities as a result of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision.
• See 2024–2025 Main Estimates attached page for more details.

Refocusing Government Spending

Q1. What is Refocusing Government Spending?

• In Budget 2022, the Government announced the launch of a comprehensive Strategic Policy Review, with the objective of generating savings of $6 billion from 2024-25 to 2026-27 and $3 billion annually by 2026-27.
• In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $15.4 billion over five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.5 billion annually after that by refocusing government spending, including spending on travel and professional services. Through this exercise, the government is finding savings from across government that can be directed towards key priorities such as health care and the clean economy.

Q2. What are the impacts on the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC)?

• In support of this commitment, IAAC will make the following budgetary reductions:
  • 2024-25: $2,527,000
  • 2025-26: $3,359,000
  • 2026-27 and after: $4,499,000
• IAAC will achieve these reductions through the following:
  • Reducing a portion of grants and contribution expenditures by implementing a risk management framework to enhance operational efficiency.
  • Utilize the annual operating and financial planning exercise to identify, optimize and reduce expenditures by:
    • Reducing travel through strategic decision making regarding discretionary versus non-discretionary travel, all the while upholding program effectiveness.
    • Reducing professional services by investing in training and educational initiatives to enhance internal capacities, thereby diminishing reliance on external professional services.

Carbon Pollution Pricing

Q1. What is carbon pricing and why is it important?

• Carbon pollution pricing is widely recognized as the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while driving innovation to provide consumers and businesses with low-carbon options.
• The federal government is committed to ensuring that carbon pricing is in place across Canada at a similar level of stringency while ensuring provinces and territories have the flexibility to implement their own carbon pricing systems.
• Carbon pollution pricing is central to Canada's climate plan and is critical to delivering on Canada's targets of reducing GHG emissions to 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

Q2. What is the federal benchmark and what does it do? Why not let provinces and territories decide for themselves how to price carbon pollution?

• The Government's approach to pricing carbon pollution gives provinces and territories the flexibility to implement the type of system that makes sense for their circumstances as long as they align with minimum national stringency standards, or benchmark criteria.
• The federal benchmark has been updated to ensure that carbon pricing systems are at a similar level of stringency across Canada (2023-2030) and that they continue to drive low-cost emissions reductions required for Canada to build a cleaner, more prosperous economy.
• The federal carbon pollution pricing system applies in provinces and territories that request it or that choose not to adequately price carbon pollution.

Q3. How does carbon pricing impact competitiveness, and what is the impact on Canadian industries?

• Canada's approach to carbon pollution pricing is designed to mitigate risks of adverse competitiveness impacts.
• Under the federal approach, the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) is designed to put a price on the carbon pollution of large industrial facilities, while limiting the impacts of carbon pricing on their ability to compete in the Canadian market and abroad. Carbon costs can affect businesses that conduct activities that are emissions-intensive and highly internationally traded if they compete with similar businesses in countries that do not have carbon pricing in place.
• Instead of paying the fuel charge, an industrial facility in the federal OBPS faces a compliance obligation on the portion of emissions that exceed an annual limit. Covered facilities are required to provide compensation for GHG emissions that exceed their emissions limit and are issued surplus credits if their emissions are lower than the applicable emissions limit. Facilities can sell surplus credits or bank them for use in future years. This approach minimizes the risk that businesses will move from Canada to jurisdictions that do not price carbon.
• Provincial and territorial carbon pollution pricing systems have similar designs to protect against this risk.

Q4. Has the federal government considered implementing border carbon adjustments to help mitigate carbon leakage?

• Avoiding carbon leakage is key to good climate policy. Carbon leakage occurs when companies move to countries with lower climate ambition to avoid carbon costs. The result is that emissions shift from one place to another rather than decline. Canada's carbon pricing systems are designed to address this risk. The federal Output-Based Pricing System and similar provincial systems are designed to minimize the risk of carbon leakage.
• Another way to address the risk of carbon leakage is with a border carbon adjustment. This can help level the playing field between domestic and foreign producers.
• Canada will continue to explore whether a BCA makes sense in the Canadian context, working with like-minded economies, including the European Union and our North American partners, to consider whether and how this approach could fit into a broader strategy to meet ambitious climate targets while avoiding carbon leakage.

Q5. Why not expand the exemption on heating oil to support affordability?

• This was a targeted temporary suspension as part of a national package of measures designed to help Canadians transition from less environmentally friendly fuels like heating oil as quickly as possible.
• In addition to a temporary suspension of the federal fuel charge on heating oil, this also included:
  • Doubling the supplement to carbon pollution price rebates (Climate Action Incentive Payments) to small and rural communities, from 10% to 20%.
  • Significant investments to help households switch from oil to heat pumps to heat and cool their homes, including through NRCan's Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program.
• Carbon pollution pricing remains a pillar of the Government of Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan and is the most cost-efficient way to reduce emissions and incent innovation.

Q6. What is the Government of Canada doing with the revenues it collects through carbon pollution pricing?

• All proceeds from the federal carbon pollution pricing system are returned to the province or territory of origin. Jurisdictions that requested or accepted the application of the federal fuel charge and/or the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) can opt to have these proceeds returned directly.
• In jurisdictions where the federal fuel charge has not been requested but has been applied, the majority of direct proceeds are returned to households through Canada Carbon Rebate payments (previously Climate Action Incentive payments). Most households will get back more in Canada Carbon Rebate payments than they pay in increased costs due to the federal carbon pollution pricing system.
• The remaining portion of fuel charge proceeds will be returned through federal programming to groups that may be disproportionately impacted by climate change. This includes returning proceeds to farmers, to Indigenous Peoples through joint-development of distinctions-based mechanisms, and to small and medium-sized businesses.
• In Budget 2024, the Government of Canada announced that the Canada Revenue Agency will deliver the new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses. The Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses will soon return over $2.5 billion directly to about 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.
• Jurisdictions where the federal OBPS system was applied but not requested will see proceeds collected under the federal system returned through the OBPS Proceeds Fund to further support industrial decarbonization and clean electricity initiatives. The fund applies in provinces where the federal system was previously applied (Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick) as well as provinces where the system still applies (Manitoba).

Q7. What is the Government of Canada's plan to return fuel charge revenues?

• The federal fuel charge currently applies to the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, and the territories of Nunavut and Yukon. In the provinces, the Government remains committed to ensuring that proceeds are returned to the jurisdiction of origin though a combination of Canada Carbon Rebate payments (previously Climate Action Incentive payments) and federal programming. The governments of Nunavut and Yukon receive the proceeds via direct transfer and have their own programming to return them.
• The majority of fuel charge proceeds are returned via Canada Carbon Rebate payments (previously Climate Action Incentive payments). Remaining proceeds are returned to groups that may be disproportionately impacted by climate change, including farmers, Indigenous governments, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Proceeds relating specifically to the use of natural gas and propane by farmers are returned directly to farmers via a refundable tax credit.
• In Budget 2024, the Government of Canada announced that the Canada Revenue Agency will deliver the new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses. The Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses will soon return over $2.5 billion directly to about 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.
• The Government of Canada also remains committed to returning over $531 million of federal fuel charge proceeds to Indigenous governments and is currently engaging with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners on the approach for distributing these proceeds in each province where the federal fuel charge applies.

Q8. What is the OBPS Proceeds Fund, and how much funding is available?

• Launched on February 14, 2022, the OBPS Proceeds Fund is designed to further reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions and support clean electricity projects. The program has two streams:
  • The Decarbonization Incentive Program (DIP) stream is a merit-based program that incentivizes the long-term decarbonization of Canada's industrial sectors by supporting clean technology projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Future Electricity Fund stream is designed to support provincially managed clean electricity projects and/or programs. Eligible projects will be determined during the negotiation of funding agreements in each jurisdiction. Formal negotiations are underway.
• Available funding depends on the amount of proceeds collected from OBPS regulated facilities during a given compliance period. Approximately $909 million in OBPS proceeds has been collected under the federal system from 2019 to 2022; $162 million from 2019, $233 million from 2020, $291 million from 2021, and $223 million from 2022. s. Jurisdictions where the federal OBPS was applied but not requested and that now implement their own comparable system will see any previous amounts returned through the OBPS Proceeds Fund; New Brunswick exited the federal OBPS system in January 2021, Ontario in January 2022, and Saskatchewan in January 2023; Manitoba remains regulated by the federal system.
• The following table shows the estimated funding available in respective jurisdictions:

*New Brunswick exited the federal OBPS system in January 2021

Q9. How will the Government of Canada return proceeds to provinces or territories that have transitioned out of the federal OBPS and implemented their own carbon pollution pricing system for industrial emitters?

• If a province or territory implements its own carbon pollution pricing system that meets the federal benchmark and transitions away from the federal OBPS, the OBPS Proceeds Fund would continue to support any projects that have been approved for implementation in those jurisdictions. The program would continue in the jurisdictions where the OBPS is no longer in effect until proceeds have been returned.

Q10. How will the Government of Canada return proceeds to Indigenous governments?

• In 2020, Canada committed to work on a distinctions-basis to jointly develop the mechanisms by which 1% of fuel charge proceeds would be returned to Indigenous governments in jurisdictions where the federal fuel charge applies. The purpose of this approach is to provide a flexible mechanism to transfer the proceeds in a way that reflects feedback from Indigenous partners.
• Since 2021, officials from Environment and Climate Change Canada have engaged with First Nations, Inuit and Métis in the provinces where the federal fuel charge is in effect on the path forward for returning fuel charge proceeds.
• In February 2024, the Government of Canada announced that the share of fuel charge proceeds returned to Indigenous governments will increase from 1% to 2% in 2024-25, in recognition of the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities. The federal government intends to return 2% of fuel charge proceeds to Indigenous governments in subsequent years.
• The Minister of Finance has specified that the Minister of Environment and Climate Change is responsible for returning over $531M of net fuel charge proceeds collected from 2020-21 to 2024-25 to Indigenous governments in each province where the federal fuel charge applies.
  • December 2023: specification of $282.19M, representing 1% of net fuel charge proceeds collected from 2020-21 to 2023-24,
  • February 2024: specification of $249.3M, representing 2% of net fuel charge proceeds in 2024-25
• Environment and Climate Change Canada is working to complete engagement with Indigenous partners on the approach for returning the proceeds that have been specified thus far, and is aiming to announce programming as soon as possible.

Q11. Why is the government refusing to pause the carbon price increase scheduled for April 1, 2024, as requested by Atlantic Premiers on March 12?

• Affordability is top of mind for the federal government, as it is for Atlantic Premiers and other provincial and territorial leaders
• But pausing the increase to the price on carbon pollution would be counter-productive, both for affordability and the fight against climate change
• The federal approach to carbon pollution pricing actually protects households against affordability impacts.
• The Canada Carbon Rebate ensures that proceeds go back to households, before they incur costs from the price on pollution
• The majority of households get more back than the costs they incur, in particular low- and medium-income households. This means that pausing the carbon price wouldn't in practice help most households and could actually hurt some lower and medium-income households.
• Doubling the rural top-up to 20% will also help those with fewer options to reduce emissions.
• The small, steady increases to the carbon price each year (about 3.3 cents per liter of gasoline) are designed to avoid major price shocks, while the rebates protect household finances.
• We also need to remember that carbon pricing is a pillar of our climate plan and projected to achieve about one third of all the pollution reductions it targets. It is more efficient than other types of measures, which could end up costing more and protecting affordability less.

Cap and Cut Emissions from Oil and Gas

Q1. What is the approach to cap and cut oil and gas sector emissions?

• Canada is taking action across all sectors to meet its commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
• The oil and gas sector is the largest source of emissions in Canada producing 28% of national emissions in 2021. It is also a major employer and contributor to Canada's GDP.
• On December 7, 2023, the Government published a Regulatory Framework to cap GHG emissions from the oil and gas sector through a cap-and-trade system under CEPA for a 60-day comment period.
• The approach to the emissions cap is designed to ensure predictable emissions reductions while enabling ongoing production. Facilities will have an incentive to reduce emissions to the level of the emissions cap but will have the flexibility to emit up to a maximum.
• It will work together with new and existing policies to reduce oil and gas sector emissions, including carbon pollution pricing, proposed amendments to strengthen the oil and gas methane regulations and the CCUS investment tax credit, for example.
• The Government of Canada will continue to engage with oil and gas companies, provinces and territories, Indigenous organizations and other stakeholders as we develop the emissions cap.

Q2. How would an emissions cap affect oil and gas production, exports, and energy security?

• To be clear, the purpose of the emissions cap is to reduce GHG emissions, not to cap oil and gas production in Canada.
• The Regulatory Framework, published December 7, 2023, is clear that the proposed emissions cap is designed to ensure predictable emissions reductions while enabling ongoing production. It is designed to provide the sector with the flexibility to respond to changes in global markets and demand.
• The emissions cap will ensure that the reductions and investments needed to achieve net zero in 2050 are made, which will help support the future competitiveness of the sector.
• We will continue to work closely with provinces and the sector as we develop the details of the regulatory approach and remain attuned to evolving energy security and climate risk considerations.

Q3. Is the oil and gas sector target achievable? If it costs too much won't it just scare investment away from Canada?

• As proposed in the Regulatory Framework published Dec. 7, 2023, the cap on emissions will set a limit on emissions, not on production.
• The design will ensure predictable emissions reductions while enabling continued production and providing flexibility to respond to changes in global markets and demand.
• The proposed emissions cap level and legal upper bound were designed based on extensive engagement with industry on the technologically achievable reductions in the sector by 2030.
• Proposed compliance options, including the use of offsets and contributions to a decarbonization fund, provide flexibility and certainty.
• The proposed approach will ensure that the reductions and investments needed to achieve net zero in 2050 are made, as committed to by many industries within the sector.
• Demand for low carbon fossil fuels is expected to increase over time. Reducing emissions in Canada's oil and gas sector is expected to help to maintain sector competitiveness.
• The proposed approach is designed to enable increased production in response to global demand, incent investments in decarbonization, and ensure the sector reduces emissions to achieve net zero by 2050.

Q4. What are the most promising decarbonisation pathways for the oil and gas sector?

• Large-scale deployment of multiple technologies are required for oil sands and other oil and gas producers to reduce GHG emissions.
• Some key mitigation pathways include steam displacement (which includes solvent injections), CCUS, co-generation, electrification, fuel switching and energy efficiency applications.
• CCUS can help us tackle emissions from the toughest-to-abate but crucial sectors of Canada's economy (such as oil and gas and heavy industry); enable low-carbon pathways like hydrogen; and deliver negative emissions to support carbon dioxide removal.

Clean Electricity Regulations

Q1. Why do we need the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER)?

• An expanded, net zero grid capable of supplying much more electricity than our current grid will be a pre-requisite to achieving a net zero economy by 2050.
• While 84% of Canada's electricity is currently non-emitting, demand for electricity is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades as our population and economy grow and as Canadians switch to electric vehicles, adopt electric home heating, and use electricity to power industry. To ensure this increased demand does not increase emissions, the Government is implementing a series of measures, including the CER. This is being designed to reduce emissions while enabling continued access to an affordable and reliable grid.
• The Government of Canada is complementing the regulations with a suite of measures to support the clean energy transition, including over $40 billion in investments over the next 10 years through investment tax credits, low-cost financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and other funding announced in Budget 2023.
• All G7 countries have committed to net zero electricity by 2035, and the United States have released draft clean power rules and announced investments through the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Creating a clear path forward to net-zero electricity is already helping enhance Canada's ability to attract industry and investors looking for a clean power advantage. We are already seeing the economic benefits of a clean electricity supply, with significant investments being made in Canada's economic growth. For example, in April 2023, Volkswagen committed to build one of largest battery factories in the world because of Canada's ability to supply clean and affordable electricity in the decades ahead. Having clean electricity is a competitive advantage.

Q2. What is the status of the CER and next steps?

• ECCC has received substantial feedback and constructive suggestions for making improvements from provinces and utilities on the draft Regulations.
• Following extensive consultation on the draft regulation, an update to the CER was published on February 16, 2024, proposing various changes in order to enhance flexibility for operators so that they can continue to deliver reliable and affordable power, while still delivering significant emissions reductions. Initial reactions have been largely positive.
• The changes under consideration are expected to give provinces more flexibility and control to enable them to manage cost and reliability concerns as they build and operate grids in the context of growing electricity demand.
• We continue to engage with interested parties, and plan to finalize the regulations this fall.

Q3. What does the recent update to the Clean Electricity Regulations mean for electricity rates for Canadians?

• Electricity rates in Canada are set by provincial governments and regulators.
• Given the anticipated increased demand for electricity, there will be costs to expand the electricity grid with or without the Clean Electricity Regulations. The costs directly attributable to the CER are expected to be minimal. 
• The Canada Energy Regulator estimates that provinces will need to expand their grids by 2-3 times by 2050 to respond to increased demands coming from population and economic growth, the switch to electric vehicles, the adoption of electric building heating and the electrification of industrial processes such as steel and aluminum production. We estimate that will require investments of more than $400 billion. By comparison, the costs that can be directly attributed to the Clean Electricity Regulations, which ensure these investments lead to a cleaner electricity grid and help address climate change, are relatively minimal.
• The Government of Canada has committed more than $40 billion over the next decade to support the build out of a clean electricity grid. It is expected that provinces will be well-positioned to take advantage of this suite of funding measures, which would help them reduce incremental costs and impacts on rates.
• Before finalizing the Clean Electricity Regulations in 2024, the Government of Canada will continue to work with interested parties to refine the design of the CER and address concerns for the reliability and affordability of electricity, while still achieving significant emissions reductions.
• A recent study from the Canadian Climate Institute found that on average overall household energy costs for Canadians will decline around 12% by 2050. Even with the investments required for equipment such as heat pumps and EVs and for grid expansion, households will benefit from reduced expenditures on costly and unpredictably priced fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and natural gas, which will more than offset increased expenditures on electricity.

Q4. Is the revised approach expected to lead to similar GHG emissions reductions compared to the draft regulations published in August 2023? What other benefits can Canadians expect from these regulations?

• The final regulations will provide more flexibility for provincial operators to continue to ensure reliable and affordable power while ensuring emission reductions.

Q5. Will the CER allow the continued use of fossil fuels like natural gas? Why?

• The regulations will shift the mix of generation sources towards low- or non-emitting sources more quickly and to a greater extent than would be expected without the Regulations.
• The CER's flexibilities would allow some natural gas to provide an adequate level of support for reliability and in support of affordability while utilities and system operators make this transition.

Q6. Why do we need net-zero electricity before 2050?

• As the Canadian population and economy grow and more Canadians switch to electricity to power their vehicles, heat their homes, and operate their businesses, the total demand for electricity will grow.
• We need to ensure this demand is met with clean electricity so that Canada can reach its net zero by 2050 target. 
• The global economy is changing, and clean electricity is in demand as all G7 countries and hundreds of the largest companies in the world commit to net-zero. Investors are turning to countries with non-emitting electricity to meet their own emissions reduction targets and connect to grids that offer reliable and affordable electricity. Building an affordable, reliable, and clean supply of electricity will help Canada remain competitive and attract investments.

Q7. What is the Government of Canada doing to support the transition to net-zero electricity?

• Convening: working with provinces, territories, Indigenous peoples, and others to identify and support regional priorities for clean electricity and clean energy. This includes the Canada Electricity Advisory Council, the Regional Energy Tables and other fora.
• Complementary policies: The regulations are one component of a broader plan for net-zero climate policies under the Emissions Reduction Plan that includes carbon pricing, Clean Fuel Regulations and Oil and Gas Caps.
• Funding: the Government has a suite of measures totaling over $40 billion over the next 10 years to support provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, utilities, and industry accelerate progress towards a net-zero electricity sector by 2035.

Supplementary:

• Nearly $3 billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program.
• $10 billion in low-cost financing from the Canada Infrastructure Bank for clean electricity projects.
• 15% Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit – estimated cost of $25.7 billion over the lifetime of the incentive – for eligible investments by taxable and non-taxable entities in certain technologies for the generation and storage of clean electricity and its transmission between provinces and territories.
• 30% Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit for eligible investments by businesses in certain electricity generation and storage equipment, low-carbon heating, and industrial zero-emission vehicles and related charging or refuelling infrastructure.
• 30% Clean Technology Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit for eligible investments in machinery and equipment used to manufacture or process clean technologies, and extract, process, and recycle key critical minerals.
• $520 million for the Clean Energy for Indigenous, Rural and Remote Communities programs for renewable energy and capacity-building projects and related energy efficiency measures across Canada. This includes the complementary Indigenous Off-Diesel Initiative that provides clean energy training and funding for Indigenous-led climate solutions in remote Indigenous communities.
• The Canada Growth Fund is devoting $7 Billion to support clean growth projects by providing carbon contracts for difference.
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is also investing in clean electricity projects via the Strategic Innovation Fund and Net Zero Accelerator initiative.

Q8. How is Canada recognizing the large regional differences in electricity systems?

• The CER will be technology-neutral and will include various flexibilities so that provinces and utilities can maintain a reliable and affordable supply of electricity based on their own circumstances.
• Our Government has now announced over $40 billion over the next 10 years for clean electricity to assist regions in making the transition. The federal government is working closely with provinces through regional energy tables to identify regional opportunities, priorities, and challenges for moving to clean energy. Opportunities exist for regions to work together to develop interties to move clean power amongst themselves. The recent announcement from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick indicating plans to build a new reliability intertie is an example of such interprovincial collaboration.

Clean Fuel Regulations

Q1. When did the Clean Fuel Regulations come into force?

• The Clean Fuel Regulations came into force in June 2022. The reduction requirements under the Regulations started on July 1, 2023.

Q2. What do the Clean Fuel Regulations cover?

• The Regulations aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from liquid fossil fuels used in Canada for transportation, i.e. gasoline and diesel. The Regulations require liquid fossil fuel suppliers to reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity of the fuels they produce and import for use in Canada. A lifecycle approach accounts for emissions across all stages of fuel production and use, from extraction through processing, distribution, and end use. 

Q3. Do the Clean Fuel Regulations duplicate what would be achieved by carbon pollution pricing or the oil and gas cap?

• The Clean Fuel Regulations complement carbon pricing.
• Carbon pricing sends a broad signal across the economy to spur the lowest cost reductions wherever they may be found.
• The Clean Fuel Regulations complement these general signals by sending a targeted incentive to drive transformational changes along the lifecycle of liquid fuels for longer-term capital investments such as carbon capture and storage.
• Actions taken under the Clean Fuel Regulations can also reduce the overall emissions of a refinery helping it to meet compliance under other provincial or federal regulations like the Output-Based Pricing System.
• As the oil and gas emissions cap is designed, it will take into account the Clean Fuel Regulations.
• The price on carbon, Clean Fuel Regulations, and the oil and gas emissions cap will all help meet Canada meet our emission reduction target, and to put Canada on a path towards achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Q4. What does success look like for the Clean Fuel Regulations?

• The Clean Fuel Regulations are expected to result in significant GHG reductions (up to 26 Mt in 2030) by lowering the lifecycle carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel used in transportation. In addition, the Regulations are driving innovation and support sustainable jobs across multiple sectors of the economy, including in clean technology and low-carbon energy sectors such as biofuels and hydrogen.
• Other jurisdictions that have adopted a low-carbon fuel standard such as California and B.C. have seen increases in low-carbon intensity fuel production and consumption.

Q5. What is the status of the credit market? Are there enough credits available for compliance?

• The Clean Fuel Regulations credit transfer market is operating well and as expected.
• On a national level, the Department estimates that two times the credits required will be available for compliance with the first reduction requirement.

Q6. When will ECCC publish CFR market data to provide more information for regulated parties and investors?

• ECCC understands the importance of market information to investors and regulated parties.
• After April 30, 2024, the Department will have a year's worth of credit creation data for credit creation categories. Public reporting will follow shortly thereafter.

Q7. What is ECCC's view on the price adjustment that some Atlantic Provinces have included in their retail regulated fuel prices in response to their analysis of the compliance costs associated with the Clean Fuels Regulations?

• The CFR does not set a price, instead it requires fuel suppliers to reduce the lifecycle carbon intensity of the gasoline and diesel they produce and import for use in Canada.
• Price impacts will depend on the choices of the regulated parties in the oil and gas sector, each of which have the flexibility to find the most cost-effective approaches that work best for them, whether investing in cleaner production or blending with biofuels.
• While reduction requirements under the CFR started on July 1, 2023, refineries have until July 1, 2024, to achieve their 2023 compliance obligation which is designed to be minimal in the early years.
• To ensure the compliance costs and fuel price impacts are well understood, we commissioned and shared an independent study of the CFR by ESMIA (Energy Super Modelers and International Analysts).
• That study was published on January 25, 2024. It found that the fuel price impacts from the CFR are likely to be negligible in 2023 and 2024, with increases of less than half a cent per litre for gasoline.

Clean Technology

Q1. Why is clean technology important for reducing emissions and the transition to net-zero?

• Meeting Canada's climate commitments set out in the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act hinges on a transition to clean technologies across every economic sector, shifting from carbon-intensive technologies to those that can significantly reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from process and practices.
• Reaching net-zero by 2050 requires current clean technologies to be deployed on a greater scale in parallel with the development of emerging technoloegies. In 2021, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that emerging technologies would be needed for up to half of the emissions reductions required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In its latest 2023 outlook, the IEA has estimated that this has already been reduced to 35%. This shows both the rapid pace of change and the enormous opportunity that remains.

Q2. What are some of the critical clean technologies in achieving Canada's 2030 targets and net-zero by 2050?

• Many of the clean technologies needed to achieve our 2030 targets are already commercially available - but we will need to scale up these solutions.
• Canada has an important clean electricity advantage with an 82% non-emitting grid. Renewable energy technologies and interties will help further clean the grid, and Canada is developing a Clean Electricity Standard to ensure we transition to a net-zero energy grid nationally by 2035. A clean grid can lay the foundation for electrification of many applications across the economy and help reduce our use of fossil fuels.
• Accelerating our transition to zero-emission vehicles will be critical and we've set a target to transition to 100% zero-emission vehicles for cars and light trucks by 2035.
• Electrifying heat in buildings is also a significant opportunity to reduce emissions and can save consumers money in the long run. Efforts in this area have been advanced through the development of programs such as the Canada Greener Homes Grant and Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program.
• Clean fuels such as biofuels, clean hydrogen and renewable natural gas can provide an alternative low or zero-carbon energy source to help reduce GHG emissions in various sectors, including industry, freight transport, marine and aviation.
• Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is also a critical technology that will be required to help decarbonize hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as cement, steel and chemicals, as well as the oil and gas sector, especially where other solutions such as electrification are not available.
• CCUS technologies have been deployed for decades and are getting better over time.
• The basic technology is proven and effective; deployment will be a matter of scaling-up commercial projects and reducing costs.
• Increased use of CCUS features in the mix of every credible path to achieving net-zero by 2050, including all 1.5 C pathways developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the IEA.
• Canada is continuing to advance RD&D to improve the commercial viability of carbon management technologies—including CO2 capture, DAC, and CO2 utilization, transport, and storage across a broad range of sectors.

Q3. What challenges do clean technologies face?

• There are numerous challenges that impact the pace and scale of clean technology adoption and innovation. Clean technologies can be more expensive, incurring higher capital costs than their equivalent emissions-intensive options, which means a mix of incentives, carbon pricing, and/or regulations are needed to encourage sufficient private sector investment and public uptake.
• Given the relatively early stage of the transition in most sectors, clean technologies are also confronted by uneven supply chains and enabling infrastructure; these require time to build out before widespread adoption and cost reductions can take hold.
• Moreover, there tends to be a general lack of awareness among stakeholders about clean technology solutions or the necessity of shifting towards them.
• We also know that emissions from some sectors are harder to abate than others, for example, emissions from heavy industry, oil & gas, medium- and heavy- duty freight, aviation, etc.
• However, the Government of Canada is working to address these challenges, for example, as outlined by the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) Progress Report, Canada is implementing a series of measures designed to support emissions reduction in all sectors of the economy, including hard-to-abate sectors. These include helping industries to adopt clean technology in their journey to net-zero emissions, through funding programs and a suite of clean investment tax credits, and regulatory measures including carbon pricing, methane regulations and the Clean Fuel Regulations, and developing an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector.

Q4. How is the federal government supporting clean technology in Canada?

• The Government of Canada has made significant investments since 2016 to accelerate clean technology deployment and development, with investments of over $120 billion in clean growth and other emissions reduction measures.
• Over the past three years alone, more than 90 clean growth projects valued at a total of more than $50 billion, including private investment, are underway or will soon move forward into construction across Canada.
• Prominent federal measures, such as the Canada Growth Fund, the Strategic Innovation Fund – Net Zero Accelerator, the Energy Innovation Program and the Low Carbon Economy Fund, are propelling clean technology research, development and demonstration (RD&D) in emerging innovations and de-risking investment in clean technology deployment to guide decarbonization across industries.
• Underlying regulations and investment tax credits are also providing clear signals across the innovation continuum. Beyond this, the Government continues to undertake numerous enabling actions to encourage clean technology development and adoption, including the activities of the Clean Growth Hub, Clean Technology Data Strategy, and Clean Technology and Climate Innovation Strategy.
• The support to date from the Government of Canada, provinces and the private sector is supporting the development of critical technologies, but not to the point of market saturation where supports are no longer needed.
• The Government of Canada estimates that between $125 to $140 billion in annual private and public investment across all levels of government is needed to reach net zero by 2050, but currently only $15 to $25 billion is being invested each year. Given the fiscal support already provided by the Government of Canada, it is increasingly important for business, investment, and financial sector leaders to respond to the strong market signals that have been put in place.

Q5. What is the size of Canada's clean tech sector?

• Clean technology in Canada has been growing in economic importance over the last decade. Canada's total clean tech market was estimated at $34 billion in 2021, with approximately $9.1 billion in exports and $14.7 billion in imports.
• Clean technology employs more than 211,000 Canadians, and the number of jobs is expected to grow by almost 50% by 2030.
• In Canada, clean tech companies operate across diverse sectors in the economy, from transportation, industry, buildings, and energy to waste and agriculture. Notable clean technology sectors in Canada include clean fuels, rare earth minerals, clean electricity, industrial decarbonization, methane abatement, clean transportation technologies, and energy-efficient equipment.
• According to EDC, key clean tech exports include transportation and vehicle technologies, energy efficiency technologies, clean energy equipment such as wind and solar parts and biofuel technologies. The U.S. remains the main export market for Canadian clean tech producers.
• Canada is home to thousands of clean tech firms with annual revenues worth over $17 billion. The sector is predominantly composed of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• In 2024, 13 Canadian companies were named to the Global Cleantech 100 list, second after the United States.

Q6. Why does clean tech/climate innovation matter to Canadians?

• Clean technology offers significant benefits to Canadians, from environmental benefits to cost savings and clean air, to more than 211,000 well-paying jobs. Creative solutions and innovative technologies are key to helping the world tackle climate change (e.g., electric vehicles, renewable energy, energy efficient heat pumps, etc.), plastic waste, and other environmental challenges we face.
• The global clean technology market is set to exceed $3.6 trillion by 2030, and there is an enormous opportunity for Canadian businesses in clean technology to grow and capture a large share of global markets while improving environmental outcomes.
• Canada is well-positioned to be among the leaders in this area. Canadian clean technology companies receive international recognition for their innovations every year. Canadian ingenuity is creating electric transit buses and carbon-free aluminum.
• By developing and adopting clean technologies, companies and industry can better control costs, meet new regulatory requirements at home and abroad, improve global competitiveness and reduce impacts on climate, water, land and air. Canadians have the opportunity to build on our strengths as innovators and producers of clean technology solutions to help Canada transition to a resilient and prosperous clean growth economy.

UN Conference on Climate Change: COP28

Q1. What were Canada's goals for COP28 and were they achieved?

• COP28 marked a critical moment in global climate discussions. Countries assessed collective progress made since the adoption of the Paris Agreement to inform the actions needed to keep global warming within 1.5C.
• Canada used COP28 to advocate for ambitious global climate action on mitigation, adaptation, and finance and to advance biodiversity and pollution reduction goals.
• The results were positive and strong. Canada and nearly 200 other countries reached a historic agreement on the Global Stocktake decision. This provides a clear path, agreed to by all countries, to achieve the Paris Agreement's long-term goals.

Follow-up:

• Many elements of the Global Stocktake decision speak directly to Canada's priorities and interests. There was, for the first time, a commitment by all countries to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. It detailed a series of global efforts to accelerate the energy transition, such as tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.
• The Global Stocktake decision also encourages all countries to come forward with ambitious nationally determined contributions to reducing carbon emissions that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. These contributions are essential to mitigate the worst consequences of climate change for Canadians and people around the globe.
• Canada also used the conference to showcase Canadian climate leadership and innovation from actors across the country, with events at the Canada Pavilion organized by provinces, civil society, and Indigenous organizations.

Q2. How big is the delegation? How much has the Government spent on COP28? How can you justify the cost of Canada's participation?

• Over the past several years, UNFCCC COPs have evolved to become large multi-faceted events, bringing together state and non-state participants to drive momentum and catalyze climate action.
• The Government of Canada is committed to taking a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to climate action. The Canadian delegation reflects the need to participate in expanding negotiations and provide programming to ensure inclusive representation of relevant provincial and territorial governments, civil society, Indigenous and private sector partners, and stakeholders.
• Accreditation as part of Canada's delegation was necessary for participants to access meeting and event sites. At COP28, 633 in-person participants were accredited and attended as part of the Canadian delegation. This included:114 representatives from the federal government
  • 7 representatives of the House of Commons, Senate, and their support
  • 77 from provincial governments,
  • 12 from municipal governments and groups
  • 53 from Indigenous organizations
  • 43 from civil society organizations
  • 28 from academia
  • 17 from youth groups
  • 9 from labour organizations and unions
  • 8 from international organizations
  • 254 from the private sector
  • And 5 additional participants participated virtually
• With respect to travel, the federal government is covering costs for 114 federal employees (including 44 from ECCC), two Ministers and seven exempt staff, four Indigenous Representatives, six youth delegates, six civil society representatives, six Parliamentarians, one Net-Zero Advisory Body Member, five non-public servant Canada pavilion support staff, and 22 Canada pavilion participants belonging to underrepresented groups.
• Nine additional National Indigenous Organizations representatives receive funding for their participation at COP28 pursuant to their funding agreement with the Government of Canada on clean growth and climate change. Delegates other than those outlined above were responsible for their own travel expenses.
• The Government of Canada has incurred $2,954,188.52 in costs to date for the Canadian delegation and a Canada pavilion at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai.
• National pavilions are high-visibility spaces that provide countries and organizations a unique opportunity to showcase their climate efforts, host events, and offer a central networking hub for key partners and stakeholders.
• The national pavilion at COP28 showcased Canada's whole-of-society approach and the commitments and efforts of all partners and stakeholders including Indigenous Peoples, all levels of government, civil society organizations, youth, labour, and underrepresented groups. Over the course of COP28, Canada hosted 74 events at the pavilion and approximately 6,000 visitors.

Q.3 How is the government offsetting the carbon footprint resulting from the Canadian delegation's travel to and from the conference?

• Air travel-related greenhouse gas (GHG) data is available on a departmental basis and is published online.
• Air travel GHG data is generated through the centralized travel booking service and includes departmental public servant travel, which represents most of the travel. This does not include Ministerial travel as it is not booked through the centralized system. This does not include disaggregated data by passenger.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada purchases carbon offset credits in bulk, not by travel to a specific conference or event, to help mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Ministerial air travel.
• Departments and agencies that generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in excess of 1 kilotonne per year from air travel are required to contribute annually to the Greening Government Fund (GGF) and have been charged a TBS-set fee based on the average total annual air-travel emissions of that organization over the previous three years. 

International Climate Finance

Q1. What are the main objectives of Canada's climate finance?

• Climate finance is a critical part of Canada's efforts to support climate mitigation and adaptation action in developing countries in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
• In 2021, Canada doubled its climate finance commitment to $5.3 billion (B) over 5 years to support developing countries to transition to sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature-positive and inclusive development.
• To support developing countries in combating the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, a minimum of 20% of $5.3B is being allocated to projects that leverage nature-based climate solutions and projects that contribute to biodiversity co-benefits.
• Canada's climate finance envelope is comprised of 40% grants and 60% loans, having increased its provision of grants up from 30% under the previous five-year commitment to support improved access by affected communities.
• As part of its $5.3B climate finance commitment, Canada increased its provision of funding towards adaptation to 40% and will double its funding for adaptation from 2019 levels by 2025, in line with the Glasgow Climate Pact. This increase represents more than double the provision of adaptation finance relative to Canada's previous $2.65B commitment.
• Canada's climate finance is aligned with our Feminist International Assistance Policy and will continue to support women's leadership and decision-making in climate action. Canada will ensure that 80% of its climate finance projects integrate gender equality.
• During the five years of the commitment, Canada is focusing its international climate finance on four main thematic areas: clean energy transition and coal phase-out, climate-smart agriculture and food systems, nature-based solutions and biodiversity, and climate governance.
• Canada's climate finance plays an important role in demonstrating Canada's commitment to deliver on its part of the collective $100 billion annual climate finance goal through to 2025.

Q2. What results has Canada achieved from its international climate finance?

• To date, Canada's previous $2.65B climate finance commitment is expected to reduce or avoid over 223.7 megatonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and help over 8.04 million (M) people increase their resilience to climate change. The impacts of Canada's climate finance will continue to fluctuate over time as results of the investments materialize in the long-term.
• Canada's climate finance has other impacts that are harder to quantify. For example, Canada's contribution to the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network has enabled developing countries to build capacity and adopt best practices in developing and implementing NAPs, as well as strengthening gender considerations in NAPs.
• To achieve results, Canada works with partners that have clear accountability frameworks and closely monitors the progress of our support through rigorous performance measurement at the programmatic level.
• Results from Canada's climate finance investments are published on a regular basis, notably through our Departmental Results Reports, Canada's National Communications and Biennial Reports to the UNFCCC, the Annual Synthesis Report on the Status of Implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework, and on our climate finance website.

Q3. Is Canada contributing its fair share of climate finance?

• Yes, Canada recognizes that developing countries are the hardest hit by climate change and that transformational financial investments are needed to help vulnerable communities better address climate change. Canada's $5.3B climate finance commitment builds on the previous $2.65B commitment (2015-16 to 2020-21) and the $1.2B Fast Start Finance (2010-11 to 2012-13). As such, Canada's $5.3B commitment is a significant increase compared with previous levels and continued progression towards meeting the collective goal of U.S. $100 billion per year through 2025.
• Canada's total climate finance contribution goes much further than its core commitment. It includes climate finance mobilized from a variety of sources beyond Canada's climate finance pledge such as private finance mobilized through blended finance, additional international assistance with a climate component, core contributions to multilateral development banks, and climate relevant financing by Export Development Canada and FinDev Canada. Canada has provided and mobilized over $6.8 billion in climate finance from all sources from 2015-2021, which far exceeds the baseline amount pledged through its public climate finance commitment.

Q4. Are we on track to meet the collective $100 billion goal?

• Canada has been steadfast in its efforts to meet the $100 billion collective goal and has been working with Germany to build trust and increase ambition among contributor countries.
• Based on data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), climate finance provided and mobilized towards the $100 billion goal surpassed earlier projections in 2021 and 2022. The OECD Secretary General indicated that the goal was likely met in 2022 and contributors are confident that it will be met in 2023 at the latest.
• While we are confident the goal has been met, data on climate finance delivered in 2022 will not be available until this summer due to data requirements and reporting processes in place. Providing sufficient time for data on climate finance to be collected, compiled, and reported by contributors and subsequently assessed and analyzed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an integral part of efforts to ensure transparency and accountability.

Q5. What is Canada doing to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS)?

• One of the key objectives of Canada's climate finance is to support the climate resilience of the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including SIDS.
• In addition to scaling up support for adaptation finance in its current $5.3B commitment, Canada is working to bolster efforts to address the barriers to accessing climate finance faced by SIDS, which compound the issue of vulnerability.
• For example, Canada supported the creation of the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) initiative that supports developing countries build their capacity to structure and secure finance for priority climate mitigation and adaptation investments. Canada is providing a renewed contribution of $5.25M in funding to support CFAN expand its work with climate-vulnerable countries. Canada is also providing $7.5M in bilateral support to Caribbean and Pacific Island SIDS to assist in the implementation and achievement of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) through methane reductions.

Q6. How is Canada addressing the issue of loss and damage?

• Canada is taking concrete measures to address loss and damage in developing countries and to build resilience to safeguard future generations. Loss and damage can result from adverse climate events and can, for example, include damage to infrastructure due to hurricanes or the loss of territory due to sea-level rise to which SIDS are particularly vulnerable.
• Previous measures to address loss and damage include Canada's $10 million contributions to Climate Risk Early Warning Systems (CREWS), and $1 million contribution to the Systematic Observation Funding Facility (SOFF), to help build early warning systems in developing countries to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable.
• At COP28, Canada announced a $16 million contribution to the start-up cost of a global fund to address loss and damage. This contribution will support the fund as it starts to provide vulnerable countries and communities with the resources they need to respond to the worst impacts of climate change.
• Canada has secured a seat on the Board of the global fund to address loss and damage and will continue to shape the Fund's strategic direction emphasizing the importance of sound governance, the prioritization of the most vulnerable countries and inclusion.

Q7. How much of the $5.3B climate finance envelope is ECCC implementing?

• Over 5 years, ECCC will implement at least $160M in grants and contributions in 3 thematic areas: Clean Energy and Coal Phase-Out ($50M), Nature-based Solutions ($15M) and Climate Governance ($90M). An Emerging Priority Fund sets aside $5M to retain flexibility to support Canada's international climate change priorities and allow for responsive and opportunity-driven participation in key initiatives, in particular international events such as the G7/G20 and UNFCCC conferences.
• ECCC's funding will support developing countries' transition to clean energy primarily by phasing out coal-fired electricity and promoting equitable access to reliable and cost-effective clean energy solutions and energy efficient technologies, complementing Canada's leadership through the Powering Past Coal Alliance.
• The funding will also support initiatives that catalyze the private sector's role in the blue economy, coastal resilience and coral reef conservation to help advance ocean health, reduce vulnerability and build resilience in the most vulnerable coastal regions and communities.
• ECCC will also support projects that strengthen the enabling environments for effective climate governance in developing countries at the global, national and subnational levels.
• For 2023-24, ECCC is allocating a total of $45M in grants and contributions, building on $28M in 2022-23. This includes over $18M in support for clean energy and coal phase-out, $2.5M in funding for nature-based solutions and biodiversity, over $23M for climate governance, and $1.25M allocated for the emerging priorities fund.

Low Carbon Economy Fund

Q1. What is the Low Carbon Economy Fund (LCEF)?

• The Low Carbon Economy Fund is an important part of Canada's clean growth and climate action plans. It supports projects that help to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, generate clean growth, build resilient communities, and create good jobs for Canadians.
• The Low Carbon Economy Fund was first funded in Budget 2017 in support of the Pan Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The up to $2 billion of federal funding announced in 2017 has and continues to leverage investments in projects that generate clean growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute towards Canada's climate targets. 
• The original Low Carbon Economy Fund had two parts: the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, providing up to $1.4 billion to provinces and territories to deliver on their commitments to reduce carbon pollution and contribute to meeting Canada's 2030 climate targets; and the Low Carbon Economy Challenge including both Champions and Partnerships streams, leveraging investments in projects that reduce carbon pollution.
• Through Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and Budget 2022, the Government of Canada announced it committed additional funding to the Low Carbon Economy Fund. This would extend the Low Carbon Economy Fund through to 2028-2029.
• There are four parts to the recapitalized Low Carbon Economy Fund:
• The recapitalized Leadership Fund continues to provide support to stimulate provincial and territorial climate action, with a focus on deploying proven low-carbon technologies that will result in GHG emissions reductions in 2030 and align with Canada's net-zero by 2050 goals.
• The recapitalized Challenge Fund continues to support the low-carbon economy transition of provinces and territories, municipalities, universities/colleges, schools, hospitals (MUSH), businesses of all sizes, not-for-profit organizations, and Indigenous governments, communities and organizations. The recapitalized Challenge Fund will support the deployment of proven, low-carbon technologies that will result in GHG emissions reductions in 2030, align with Canada's net-zero by 2050 goals, and generate economic benefits such as job creation.
• Dedicated funding for climate action by Indigenous peoples, with an Indigenous Leadership Fund. This stream funds renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-carbon heating projects owned and led by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments, communities and organization. These projects will help meet Canada's 2030 emissions reduction target and net-zero emissions by 2050. This is a key part of the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. As announced in Budget 2022, up to $32.2 million would be directed to the Atlin Hydro Expansion project, which will provide clean electricity to the Yukon and help reduce GHG emissions.
• The Implementation Readiness Fund, which provides funding for activities and investments that increase the readiness to deploy GHG emissions reduction projects and remove barriers to low-carbon technology adoption and 2030 climate mitigation action. Projects funded through the program will focus on developing and enhancing human and/or institutional resources through activities that facilitate the deployment of GHG emissions reduction technology.

Q2. How much funding will be available under the recapitalized LCEF?

• As a part of the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, Canada's Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong Economy, the Government of Canada is investing in further climate action.
• As announced in Budget 2022, the Government of Canada is empowering communities to take climate action by making investments in and extending the Low Carbon Economy Fund.
• Refocusing government spending will affect funding available under LCEF. This includes $500 million redirected from the LCEF to Natural Resources Canada in the fall of 2023 to support the expansion of programs to support the deployment of heat pumps. Further details will be available in due course.

Q3. How will Indigenous communities and organizations benefit from the new Indigenous Leadership Fund?

• With the creation of the Indigenous Leadership Fund (ILF), there are opportunities to better support Indigenous-led projects that will reduce GHG emissions, while reducing the administrative burden for applicants.
• The ILF stream supports Indigenous climate change mitigation leadership including through the deployment of renewable energy projects and energy efficiency improvements across Canada. Additionally, the Indigenous Leadership Fund has the potential to deliver numerous co-benefits ranging from environmental protection and economic prosperity to the advancement of Indigenous climate priorities and self-determination.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada continues to work with Indigenous partners to support Indigenous-led emissions reduction projects in Indigenous communities. This includes applying a distinctions-based, collaborative approach to designing the framework and implementation of the Indigenous Leadership Fund.

National Inventory Report

Q1. What are the key highlights from the 2024 National Inventory Report?

• Canada's greenhouse gas emissions were 708 Mt of CO2 equivalent in 2022. This is an increase of 9 Mt from the revised 2021 emissions, but 44 Mt below the revised 2019 pre-pandemic emission levels. Emissions for 2005 were revised upward by 17 Mt to 761 Mt.
• Noteworthy changes in emissions between 2021 and 2022 came from:
  • Emissions from Transport increased by 7.8 Mt largely due to more travelling.
  • Emissions from commercial, institutional, and residential fuel combustion increased by 3.8 Mt, driven by a colder winter.
  • Emissions from public electricity and heat production also decreased by 4.3 Mt due to further reductions in coal consumption.
  • Emissions from Fugitives Sources from Oil and Gas extraction decreased by 2.1 Mt.
• The emissions data for 2022 confirms Canada's economy continues to decouple from its GHG emissions. The emissions intensity for the entire economy has declined by 42% since 1990.

Q2. Are GHG emissions data available by industrial facility in Canada?

• The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program collects information on GHG emissions annually from over 1700 facilities across Canada under section 46 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. This data is complementary to NIR data, and is available online (Canada.ca/GHG-reporting).

Q3. ls Canada improving methane emissions estimates in future editions of the NIR? 

• Continuous improvements to quantify and report Canada's emissions are essential to ensure Canada's inventory estimates are based on the best available science and data. This includes regularly engaging with experts and stakeholders to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize input to the scientific process that underlies GHG estimation and reporting.
• In the 2024 edition of the NIR, significant improvements and revisions were made to methodologies for fugitive methane from oil and gas, incorporating atmospheric measurements of methane from upstream oil and gas facilities. Additional improvements are expected in a future edition of the NIR. These improvements include methane estimates from wastewater, landfills and manure management as well as the addition of a new methane source from flooded lands.

Q4. How is Canada consulting with Province and Territories on emissions?

• The National Inventory Report is one way federal, provincial and territorial governments take annual stock of emissions reduction progress of the various federal, provincial, territories climate plans.
• Improvements to Canada's National GHG Inventory Report (NIR) often results in revisions to historical GHG estimates and changes to provincial and territorial GHG estimates. The commitment to quality and evidence-based information includes collaborating with stakeholders to reconcile national, provincial and territorial data towards nationally-consistent data sets.
• As part of its regular consultation process, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) shares preliminary GHG emissions data with provinces and territories. ECCC reviews and addresses any comments received to the extent possible prior to the NIR's publishing.

Q5. How are wildfires reported in the National Inventory Report?

• GHG emissions from natural disturbances are reported in section 6.3 of the NIR. Monitoring the impact of natural disturbances such as wildfire and severe forest insect outbreaks is important in Canada's GHG inventory to understand total emissions and removals from our managed forest and track the total change in terrestrial carbon stocks.
• Emissions of CO2 that result from fire and removals of CO2 that occur as the forests that have burned regrow are tracked under the natural disturbance component. These lands are reported separately until they have regrown to maturity and the carbon loss resulting from the fire is replaced on the landscape.

Why are all fires considered natural?

• All forest fires are tracked under the natural disturbance component of the NIR because it is not possible to clearly establish if human intervention has increased or decreased areas burned over time. Forest fires have been an integral part of the Canadian landscape for millennia.

Why are they reported separately?

• This approach enables the inventory to assess how forest management activities affect GHG estimates relative to the fire regime. If this approach is not applied natural disturbances would dominate emissions and removals estimates. For example, natural disturbance emissions can vary by over 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e) from year to year, depending on the area burned by wildfire.

In Summary:

• To provide a clear picture of the impacts of human activity over time, the focus of Canada's GHG inventory report is the emissions and removals that are a direct result of forest management practices. Having a clear understanding of direct human impacts can inform how we develop approaches to reduce carbon emissions and increase the carbon sequestered by our forests.
• Nonetheless, wildfire and other natural disturbance are an important part of the terrestrial carbon cycle in Canada and for this reason, emissions and removals associated with natural disturbances are tracked and reported separately.

Q6. What is being done to ensure accurate forest GHG reporting following the CESD audit on Forests and Climate change?

• As documented in the Departments' response to the CESD Audit on Forests and Climate Change, the methodology used for reporting emissions and removals of greenhouse gases from Forests in Canada is informed by continual scientific consultation and review.
• Since the publication of the results of the CESD audit in June 2023, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada have finalized a major revision to the data underlying forest estimates, have negotiated the publication of provincial LULUCF estimates in the NIR and have initiated a broad stakeholder and expert consultation on forest carbon accounting.
• The 2023 Blueprint for Forest Carbon Science in Canada was completed and published following extensive consultation with experts and stakeholders.
• An external review of Canada's NIR by independent experts assembled by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat was completed in September. This spring, a second review by UNFCCC secretariat experts was undertaken, this time of Canada's 2022 Biennial Report (BR). The reports of recommendations stemming from these reviews are currently under development by the UNFCCC Secretariat, and are scheduled for publication in the first half of 2024.
• These actions and others are underway in accordance with the Management Action Plan prepared in response to the CESD-audit.

Net Zero Accelerator Initiative

Q1. What is the Net Zero Accelerator Initiative?

• The Net Zero Accelerator Initiative (NZA) will provide up to $8 billion in funding for projects that will support innovation, enable Canada to reduce its domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40-45% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, as well as unlock pathways to a healthy and productive decarbonized economy.
• The initiative will support projects that promote the decarbonization of large emitters, accelerate industrial transformation, and advance clean technology development and Canada's battery ecosystem.
• The initiative will help Canadian businesses seize new opportunities as the world builds a greener global economy.

Q2. What role does Environment and Climate Change Canada have in the initiative?

• I, as the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, support the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry in the implementation of the initiative including by providing advice and perspective in the context of strategic investments to support Canada's climate plans.
• As part of enhanced governance efforts, Environment and Climate Change Canada works collaboratively to help ensure that investments drive industrial transition and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The scale of the investments needs to be consistent with achieving Canada's climate goals and ability to meaningfully transform Canadian industry to lead and compete in a net-zero emissions future.

Q3. Can you give an example of the types of investments that are being made?

• In July 2021, the Prime Minister announced an important investment. Algoma Steel Inc. will receive up to $200 million from the Net-Zero Accelerator Initiative to retrofit their operations and phase out coal-fired steelmaking processes at their facility in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
• This funding will enable the company to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to support its transition to Electric-Arc Furnace production. This electricity-based process is expected to cut GHG emissions by more than 3 million tonnes per year by 2030 making a meaningful contribution to achieving Canada's climate goals.
• In July 2021, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced a $25 million investment in Svante Inc., to support its project to develop and commercialize its novel low-cost carbon capture technology that will prevent significant release of CO2 into the atmosphere from industrial sites like cement and blue hydrogen plants. This innovative industrial point-source carbon capture technology will collect CO2, concentrate it and release it for safe storage or industrial use. Svante is planning to manufacture systems with the ability to capture up to 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per day, depending on the application. This technology is one of the tools that will help achieve Canada's goal of net-zero by 2050, especially for heavy emitting industries that continue to produce goods Canadians use every day.
• In November 2022, the Government of Canada announced that ten projects under the Call to Action for high-emitting sectors were selected to move forward to the due diligence review process. These companies were assessed as promising early movers that would significantly reduce emissions at existing facilities and contribute to the decarbonization of their industry sectors, including electricity generation, hydrogen production and iron for the steel industry. Based on the companies' own estimates, these projects could create a reduction in GHG emissions of up to 10 million tonnes per year by the year 2030. 
• The companies include:
  • Capital Power Corporation
  • ENMAX (Shepard Energy Centre)
  • Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL)
  • Strathcona Resources Ltd.
  • Lafarge Canada Inc.
  • ArcelorMittal Mining Canada G.P.
  • Suncor ATCO Heartland Hydrogen Hub
  • Alberta Power (2000) Ltd. (Heartland Generation)
  • Stelco Inc.
  • Dow Chemical Canada ULC

Methane Emissions Reductions

Q1. Why is methane important? Why is it necessary to have a strategy focused specifically on methane rather than all greenhouse gases?

• Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and a short-lived climate pollutant with a global warming potential of more than 25 times greater than carbon dioxide over 100 years, and 86 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
• Methane is responsible for about 30% of the global rise in temperature and half a million premature deaths globally each year. The IPCC has made it clear that there is no pathway to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees without strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in short-lived climate pollutants (including methane) alongside action on carbon dioxide.
• Unlike other GHGs, methane is also an energy source so there is economic value in capturing methane emissions or preventing methane leaks.
• Natural gas is composed almost entirely of methane, and is a valuable resource used by Canadians to heat their homes and power factories. However, a significant amount of the natural gas extracted by the oil and gas industry is wasted due to leaks and intentional venting. In addition to oil and gas, landfills and agriculture are Canada's other major sources of methane emissions.

Q2. What is the government doing or planning to do about methane emissions?

• At the November 2021 UN Climate Summit (COP26), Canada joined the Global Methane Pledge, along with the United States, the European Union and over 100 other countries. The Pledge aims to reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions economy-wide by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
• In September 2022, Canada released its methane strategy which outlines measures to reduce methane emissions across the economy, consistent with the Global Methane Pledge.
• The strategy outlines plans for addressing methane from the three sectors that account for over 90% of Canada's anthropogenic methane emissions: oil and gas (43%), agriculture (31%), and landfills/waste (20%).
• With the measures outlined in Canada's Methane Strategy, Canada will reduce domestic methane emissions by more than 35 per cent by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. This will exceed Canada's share of the Global Methane Pledge collective target.
• In 2016, Canada set a target of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40-45 per cent below 2012 levels by 2025 and has had regulations in place since 2018 to help achieve it.
• As part of the 2020 COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government launched the $750 million Emissions Reduction Fund to support emission reduction efforts.
• Responding to the global imperative for further cuts, Canada has committed to reduce oil and gas methane emissions by at least 75% below 2012 levels by 2030.
• On December 4,2023, at COP 28, the publication of proposed amendments to strengthen the 2018 oil and gas methane regulations was announced to meet this commitment. The proposed amended regulations will achieve significant methane emission reductions from new and existing upstream oil and gas facilities by expanding the scope of the existing regulations, introducing a focus on maximizing emission reductions, removing some exclusions, and ensuring all practical actions to lower emissions that are considered both achievable and cost effective are in place by 2030.
• In developing these amendments, extensive engagement has been undertaken with oil and gas producing provinces, key stakeholders including industry and environmental organizations, and Indigenous partners. Comments submitted during the formal consultation process are available online alongside the proposed amendments.
• As part of our ambitious methane abatement plan, a $30 million investment was announced to establish a Methane Centre of Excellence, which launched in March 2024, to accelerate methane measurement and mitigation through increased government-led research efforts, project funding and connecting Canadian experts to exchange knowledge and expertise.
• Regulations are also being developed to increase the number of landfills that collect and treat methane. Consultations on these regulations have been extensive and began with a discussion paper in January 2022. An initial comment period on a draft regulatory framework was launched in the fall of 2022. An opportunity to comment on the draft regulation and cost-benefit analysis was provided in late 2023/winter of 2024. Publication of draft regulations is anticipated in June 2024, and publication of final regulations is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025.
• Canadian farmers and industry partners who are taking action to reduce emissions, sequester carbon and make their operations more sustainable, productive, and competitive are being supported through various initiatives.
• The Government of Canada has programs in place to assist in the implementation of a wide range of beneficial management practices that can support efficient nutrient management and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector. Between 2021 and 2022, more than $1.5 billion in initiatives were announced to support the sector in developing and adopting emissions reducing practices and technologies. This includes the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge, which will provide up to $12 million to innovators advancing low-cost, scalable, and economically viable practices, processes, and technologies that can reduce enteric methane emissions from the cattle sector. In addition, federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Agriculture have launched a new agreement on a Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. This five-year agreement will inject $3.5 billion in funds over 2023- 2028 to support the sustainability, competitiveness, and innovation of the agricultural and agri-food sector.

Q3. What is the status of the government's commitment to develop an economy-wide methane plan as per the Environment Minister's mandate letter?

• In September 2022, Canada released its strategy to reduce methane emissions across the broader Canadian economy, consistent with the Global Methane Pledge.
• With the measures outlined in the Strategy, Canada will reduce domestic methane emissions by more than 35 per cent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. This will exceed the Global Methane Pledge target of 30 per cent that Canada signed on to in 2021.
• The Strategy focuses on the three sectors that account for over 90% of Canada's anthropogenic methane emissions: oil and gas (43%), agriculture (31%), and landfills/waste (20%).

Q4. Is the Global Methane Pledge target of reducing methane economy-wide by 30% by 2030 achievable? How are you going to achieve that target?

• In September 2022, Canada released its strategy to reduce methane emissions across the broader Canadian economy, consistent with the Global Methane Pledge.
• With the measures outlined in Canada's Methane Strategy, Canada will reduce domestic methane emissions by more than 35 per cent by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. This will exceed the Global Methane Pledge target of 30 per cent that Canada signed on to in 2021.
• Our government's progress on addressing oil and gas methane shows that significant methane reductions are achievable in Canada.
• In 2016, Canada set a target of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40–45 per cent below 2012 levels by 2025, and in 2018, we put regulations in place to help achieve it.
• Canada has now committed to reduce oil and gas methane emissions by at least 75% below 2012 levels by 2030.
• On December 4, 2023 at COP 28, the publication of proposed amendments to strengthen the 2018 oil and gas methane regulations was announced to meet this commitment.
• As part of the announcement, the ambitious commitments of numerous large oil and gas companies to reducing methane emissions by 2030 were highlighted, some to near-zero and others to 80 to 90 per cent. The commitments by British Columbia and Alberta were also noted to explore ways to achieve a similar target. These commitments emphasize that Canada's oil and gas methane reduction target is ambitious but achievable.
• Regulations to increase the number of landfills that collect and treat methane are currently under development. Publication of draft regulations is anticipated in June 2024, and publication of final regulations is anticipated in the first quarter of 2025.
• By going further on oil and gas methane reductions, introducing new methane regulations for landfill methane, and exploring opportunities to address methane from agriculture, we are confident that we can achieve economy-wide methane reductions consistent with the Global Methane Pledge.

Q5. Are the government's methane plans going to impact farmers?

• Our government is exploring ways to reduce methane emissions from all of the top-emitting sectors including agriculture.
• We will be consulting with farmers and the agricultural industry about the best opportunities and approaches for reducing methane from agriculture.
• Our government is committed to supporting Canadian farmers and industry partners who are taking action to reduce emissions, sequester carbon and make their operations more sustainable, productive, and competitive.

Thermal Coal Export Ban

Q1. Why is the government ending exports of thermal coal?

• The Government of Canada has long recognized that unabated coal power-generation is the most carbon-intensive source of electricity and that addressing this source of emissions is critical in the fight against climate change. To address this important carbon source, Canada has shown leadership over the past few years both domestically and internationally.
• In November 2021, at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Government of Canada announced its intention to ban thermal coal exports by 2030. This makes Canada the first country in the world to make this commitment to address climate change.
• The impacts of climate change are already being seen, with the most severe impacts happening in the developing world. Ending emissions from coal power generation is one of the single most important steps the world must take in the fight against climate change. It will also lead to cleaner air and healthier communities for hundreds of millions of people around the world.
• Moving away from exporting thermal coal also makes good economic sense as the falling costs of renewables and low-carbon energy are providing more clean energy options in many countries.

Q2. What is the government doing to end exports of thermal coal?

• The Government of Canada is exploring options for implementing an export ban on thermal coal. This includes an assessment of socio-economic and environmental impacts, alignment with other policies and potential impacts on trade. An update on the next steps will be provided following assessment of the options.

Zero-Emission Vehicules

Q1. What is the role of zero-emission vehicles in GHG emissions reduction?

• Canada is taking action across all sectors to meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement to reduce GHG emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Recognizing that the transportation sector accounts for about 27% of Canada's GHG emissions, the Government is taking multiple actions to reduce these emissions including expanding the number of ZEVs on Canadian roads.
• We have published Regulations to require that 20% of light-duty vehicle offered for sales are zero emission by 2026, 60% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
• We will also update our emission standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles to align with the forthcoming U.S. EPA standards.
• The Government is also investing in key areas such as consumer rebates for ZEV purchases, consumer education and awareness, expanding charging infrastructure, etc.

Q2. Is Canada's ZEV target too ambitious?

• Canada is not alone in setting ambitious ZEV targets. Quebec, B.C., California and at least 15 U.S. States have similar ZEV mandates. Globally and in North America, EV sales continue to increase year over year.
• We are complementing the sales requirements with measures to make ZEVs more affordable, significantly expand charging infrastructure, and lead by example via federal procurement rules.

Q3. How does Canada compare to other countries in terms of ambition?

• Quebec, BC, the UK, Japan, and Thailand, as well as California and other states that comprise up to 40% of the U.S. market have committed to 100% light-duty ZEVs by 2035.
• Others are even more ambitious. The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark have a target of 100% of light-duty vehicle sales to be ZEVs by 2030. Norway has committed to get there by 2025.
• The U.S. EPA released two final rules in March 2024 increasing the stringency of the GHG and air pollutant emissions standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles for the 2027-2032 period.
• Since Glasgow in 2021, there have been numerous announcements and commitments to transitioning the on-road fleet to zero-emission vehicles. These were supported by Canada – and many other countries, governments, and businesses. 
  • The Breakthrough Agenda on Road Transport aims for ZEVs to be the new normal, and to be accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions by 2030.
  • During the Transport Day Declaration in 2021, governments, businesses, and others committed to work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission globally by 2040, and no later than 2035 in leading markets, and Canada joined the Accelerating to Zero Coalition (A2Z) Coalition at COP27.
  • For heavy-duty vehicles, under the Global Drive to Zero MoU, leading countries committed to working together to enable 100% zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040 with an interim goal of 30% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2030.

Q4. How is Canada going to support the existing on-road medium and heavy-duty vehicle fleet?

• Minister Wilkinson's mandate letter includes a requirement to develop a plan for making investments to retrofit large trucks currently on the road, and supporting the production, distribution, and use of clean fuels, including low or zero carbon hydrogen.

Q5. How are GHGs from passenger automobiles and light trucks currently regulated?

• GHGs from new passenger automobiles and light trucks are regulated federally, with progressively more stringent GHG emission standards over the 2011 to 2026 model years that are aligned with the standards in the U.S.
• Heavy-duty vehicles are regulated under separate regulations. These also set progressively more stringent GHG emission standards for the various types of heavy-duty vehicles.
• This March, the U.S. released new GHG emission standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 to 2032. Canada will align our emission standards with these new U.S. standards.

Q6. What ZEV-related investments were included in Budget 2024?

• Budget 2024 proposes to provide $607.9 million over two years, starting in 2024-25, to Transport Canada to top-up the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program. Since 2019, the GoC has provided $2.6B to the iZEV program
• Budget 2024 proposes the Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit for businesses that invest in three supply chain segments: electric vehicle assembly, electric vehicle battery production, and cathode active material production. $80 million/5 years, beginning in 2024-25; $1.02 billion from 2029-30 to 2034-35. Design and implementation details to be provided in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement.
• Retooling the Clean Fuels Fund of $776.3 million to support clean fuel projects through 2029-2030. 
• No new Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) or Green Freight Program (GFP) funding for NRCan Programs Branch in Budget 2024
• No new funding for CIB ZEV infrastructure

Previous ZEV-related investments included in Budget 2022 and the 2022 Fall Economic Update?

• $1.7 billion (3 years) to extend the iZEV program until March 2025 (TC).
• $500 million (from existing) in large-scale urban and commercial ZEV charging and refuelling infrastructure (CIB).
• $400 million (5 years) for the Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP) to fund the deployment of ZEV charging infrastructure in sub-urban and remote communities (NRCan).
• $547.5 million (4 years) for a purchase incentive program for medium- and heavy-duty ZEVs (TC).
• $33.8 million (4 years, with $42.1 million in remaining amortization) to work with provinces and territories to develop and harmonize regulations and to conduct safety testing for long-haul zero-emission trucks (TC).
• $199.6 million (5 years, $0.4 million ongoing) to expand the renamed Green Freight Program to support increased assessments and retrofits (NRCan).
• The 2022 Fall Economic Statement proposes to establish a refundable tax credit equal to 30 per cent of the cost of investments in zero-emission industrial vehicles and related charging and refuelling equipment, such as electric or hydrogen-powered heavy machinery used in mining or construction.
• $2.2 million (5 years) for the Greening Government Operations Fleet Program (NRCan).

Q7. How are electric vehicle (EV) batteries being managed at end of life?

• Management of EV batteries at their end-of-life would fall under provincial and territorial jurisdictions. In addition, their management is dependent on the available infrastructure and capabilities, such as appropriate recycling facilities of the respective jurisdiction.
• Given the size and weight of EV batteries, and the value of the minerals and metals they contain, such batteries are not expected to be disposed in landfill; rather they would be recovered through various stakeholders (e.g. automotive recyclers, dealerships) at the end of their useful life. Some batteries would go on to be refurbished, so functioning components could be re-combined into batteries and reused as electric vehicle batteries or repurposed as batteries in other applications (wheelchairs, e-bikes, or energy storage solutions). Other batteries, or no longer viable components, would be sent to a recycling facility for electric vehicle batteries for material recovery.
• While on-going initiatives demonstrate effort in moving towards minimizing waste and creating a circular economy in Canada, we acknowledge that there are ongoing focus areas, including the collection/analysis of data concerning the complete lifecycle of EV batteries in Canada and potential policy implications for various levels of government.

Global Biodiversity Framework (National Strategy and Legislation)

Q1. What is the Government doing to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)?

• On December 9, 2023, I announced the Government's intention to introduce a federal nature accountability bill to establish an enduring legislative foundation for implementing the GBF in Canada.
• Canada is making good progress on its commitment to the swift and full implementation of the GBF, which requires the development of a national strategy. We have now consulted on a Milestone Document, which provides a framework for Canada's 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy.
• This collaborative and phased approach to developing and implementing Canada's Strategy recognizes that implementing the GBF in Canada will rely on the collective efforts of all levels of government and all sectors of society. 
• Canada is committed to taking ambitious actions to restore and protect nature and will be building on existing policy and programs, as well as on historic investments in nature made since 2018. These investments include:
  • Budget 2021 committed $4.1 billion to nature protection, including $2.3 billion over 5 years to support Canada's Enhanced Nature Legacy. Taken together with 2018 Nature Legacy funding, this represents the largest investment in nature conservation in Canada's history.
  • More than $5 billion over 10 years in Natural Climate Solutions to plant 2 billion trees and to conserve, restore and better manage wetlands, grasslands, forests and agricultural lands, to build resilience in our ecosystems and nature-based economic sectors, and contribute to Canada's climate goals.

Q2. What is the purpose of the proposed nature accountability bill? How will the bill keep Canada accountable for commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)?

• The bill would establish an accountability and transparency framework – with meaningful checkpoints – for the federal government to advance implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and related Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) commitments at the federal level.
• The bill would provide concrete steps to 2050 to advance these nature and biodiversity commitments. This would include codifying requirements to develop the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and to report on its implementation; as well as an ongoing requirement to develop updated national strategies after 2030. Clear and accessible reporting would allow for an assessment of implementation progress, and, where necessary, provide information on course corrections to stay on track with GBF and CBD commitments.
• The bill would also provide a framework for consultation and collaboration nationally as the Government of Canada works to deliver on its commitments, without impacting provincial, territorial or Indigenous actions or jurisdictions.

Q3. What is the timeline for the nature accountability bill? Why is the bill needed?

• We are targeting 2024 for introduction.
• The bill would establish an enduring legislative foundation for implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework and related commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity at the federal level.
• Together, the bill and the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy will provide a robust, coordinated approach to meeting GBF commitments in Canada.

Q4. Will the bill impact provincial laws or jurisdiction?

• The bill will not impact or change provincial laws or have an effect on provincial jurisdiction. The focus of the bill is on establishing an accountability and transparency framework for the federal government in fulfilling its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) commitments and related commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Provincial and territorial governments will continue to have an opportunity to describe measures they are taking to address biodiversity loss and to include those measures in national strategies – while continuing with the implementation of their measures according to their policies, plans and priorities.

Nature-Based Climate Solutions

Q1. What action is Canada taking to address the dual crises of biodiversity loss and climate change?

• Canada is investing over $5 billion over ten years (2021-2031) to deliver nature-based climate solutions in forests, grasslands, wetlands, and agricultural lands. This investment includes planting 2 billion trees, restoring degraded ecosystems, improving land management practices, and conserving land at risk of conversion to other uses. These efforts will benefit biodiversity, build resilience in our ecosystems and nature-based economic sectors, create green jobs, and contribute to Canada's 2030 and 2050 climate goals. This work will build on existing successful initiatives, complement other federal programs, and draw on strong partnerships to ensure its effectiveness.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, and Natural Resources Canada are working together to deliver on the Natural Climate Solutions Fund. In addition to tree planting, working to restore, better manage, and conserve ecosystems, and promoting the adoption of environmentally-friendly farming practices, the Fund includes investments in research, monitoring, science, and reporting to better understand and track greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from funded activities.
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement provided ECCC with $631 million for 2021-2031 to support projects that collectively reduce GHG emissions by 2-4 megatons annually while providing a host of biodiversity and other benefits. Specifically, funding will support projects that conserve, restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands to store and capture carbon, with direct benefits for migratory birds, species at risk and other species of cultural and/or socio-economic importance to local communities. The initiative also supports Indigenous organizations and communities to undertake Indigenous-led, on-the-ground projects for ecological restoration that result in reduced and captured GHG emissions. As of March 2024, ECCC has signed contribution agreements for 69 emission reductions projects for a total of $1,304M. Other calls for projects took place or are ongoing but agreements with recipients are not signed yet.
• Further, to enhance the potential for the natural environment to store carbon and reduce emissions, through Budget 2022, ECCC received $780 million over eight years starting in 2023-24 to expand the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. This additional funding will aim to deliver 3 megatons in greenhouse gas emission reductions annually by 2030.
• Combined, the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund is a $1.4 billion fund ending in 2031 and aiming to reduce GHG emissions by 5 to 7 megatons annually by 2030.

Q2. How is Canada encouraging Nature-Based Climate Solutions globally?

• Canada is advocating for coordinated global action to address both climate change and biodiversity loss. Canada will allocate at least 20% of its $5.3-billion climate finance commitment to nature-based climate solutions and biodiversity co-benefits in developing countries over the next five years.
• This represents more than CA$1 billion. The Prime Minister announced at COP26 that Canada would provide $15 million in support for the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. This funding will help developing countries build domestic capacity to take climate action, build resilience, and advance adaptation efforts while also increasing biodiversity.
• Canada is also very pleased that its efforts to ensure that the important role of nature-based solutions is recognized in the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework paid off, and the Framework looks to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Protected and Conserved Areas

Q1. Why has the government committed to conserving 30% by 2030, and is achieving this commitment feasible?

• The world is facing the unprecedented twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Canada is committed to addressing these crises and recognizes the important role of ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions.
• The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report suggests that maintaining the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystem services at a global scale depends on effective and equitable conservation of approximately 30% to 50% of the Earth's land, freshwater and ocean areas.
• As host to COP15 in December 2022, Canada is proud to have welcomed the world to Montreal, and played an integral role in fostering consensus among 196 Parties to secure an agreement on a global framework to conserve 30% of lands and oceans by 2030, and halt and reverse the loss of nature around the world: the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
• 30% by 2030 is an ambitious goal—we anticipate that as of December 2023, approximately 13.7% of terrestrial and 14.7% of ocean areas will have been conserved or protected in Canada. Budget 2018 and 2021 investments were directed at making progress towards 30% protection of land, freshwater, coastal areas and oceans by 2030.
• Additionally, at COP15 the Prime Minister announced funding of $800 million to support four Indigenous-led Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives. This work represents a significant reconciliation initiative with Indigenous peoples, underscored by significant conservation and protection of lands and waters. If realized, these 4 projects make a significant contribution.
• Most of the land in Canada is under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. Federal lands comprise just 6% of Canada. Therefore, working with partners – and provincial and territorial governments in particular – is essential. Protected and conserved areas are established in close collaboration with Indigenous peoples; provincial, territorial, and municipal governments; non-government organizations; philanthropic foundations and the private sector.
• As set out in the Minister's mandate letter, Canada's plan is grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge and local perspectives. A variety of tools are used to achieve a diverse portfolio of protected and conserved areas, including federally protected areas, privately protected areas, Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and Indigenous-led area-based conservation.

Q2. What is Canada doing to support protected and conserved areas establishment?

• Since 2017, Canada has increased its protected terrestrial and inland water areas by more than 32%. During this time, Canada has protected and conserved over 300,000 km2, which is equivalent to over 3% of Canada, an area the size of Italy. As of December 2023, 13.7% of lands and inland waters have been protected, with many other areas in progress. On the marine side, Canada has protected 14.7% of our marine and coastal areas, a dramatic increase from just 0.9% since 2015.
• Canada's pan-Canadian standards for what counts as a protected and conserved area reflects the definitions in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the guidance from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• Canada is establishing new protected areas (including parks) and recognizing Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure (OECM) - areas that achieve the same conservation outcomes as protected areas, but are not managed primarily for the conservation of biodiversity.
• As part of the Government's commitment to the conservation targets, Budget 2021 provided funding to Parks Canada to establish 10 new national marine conservation areas, 10 new national parks and 4 new freshwater national marine conservation areas, and to acquire the land needed to expand and complete existing national parks as well as $130 million to work with partners to create a network of national urban parks. Budget 2021 also provided funding to ECCC to establish new National Wildlife Areas, and expand existing National Wildlife Areas. The first Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area created since the inception of this Pathway process – Edehzhie – is dual designated as a National Wildlife Area and a Dehcho Dene Protected Area.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) supports protected and conserved areas work through funding for third party initiatives on public and private lands, as well as expanding our federally managed network of National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries, managed through regulations under the Canada Wildlife Act and the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
• ECCC's current network includes 57 National Wildlife Areas and 92 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and covers a terrestrial and marine area of 151,103 km2. Parks Canada's network includes 47 national parks, 5 national marine conservation areas and the Rouge National Urban Park that protect and conserve approximately 464,000 km2 of Canada's lands and marine waters and coastlines.

Q3. What is the current status of protection of Canada's terrestrial and marine areas?

• Canada has achieved 13.7% protection of terrestrial areas and inland waters to date. Parks Canada's 47 national parks and 2 freshwater national marine conservation areas (NMCAs) contribute 3.53% towards the 13.7% total, accounting for over 25% of the total.
  • This represents 75% of the federal contribution and is the largest contribution of any province, territory or federal organization to the terrestrial conservation target.
• Currently, 14.7% of Canada's marine waters are protected. Parks Canada-managed national marine conservation areas and national parks with marine components contribute 2.12% of this value making the Agency the second-largest contributor of any province, territory or federal organization.
• Parks Canada's largest contribution to the marine conservation targets is the 108,000 km2 Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, which contributes approximately 1.9% to the target.

Q4. How will Parks Canada contribute to the achievement of the Government of Canada target to conserve 25% of Canada's land, inland waters, and marine areas by 2025 and 30% by 2030?

Land and Inland Waters

• Budget 2021 allocated to Parks Canada $192.7 million over five years to create 10 new national parks and 4 new freshwater national marine conservation areas that will be co-managed with Indigenous governments and communities, and to acquire the land needed to expand and complete existing national parks. This funding will result in the protection of about 300,000 km2 or 3% to the government's target of protecting 25% of Canada's terrestrial lands and freshwater by 2025.
• Negotiations for formal establishment agreements are already underway for two new national park reserves.
  • Parks Canada is working with B.C. and the Syilx / Okanagan Nation to establish a national park reserve in the South Okanagan–Similkameen.
  • Parks Canada is working with the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils to establish a new national park reserve in Pituamkek (Bee-doo um Gek)/Hog-Island Sandhills chain in northwestern PEI.
• The intent to assess the feasibility of a national park reserve in northern Manitoba was announced in December 2022.
• 7 additional sites have been identified and discussions are underway with provincial/territorial governments and Indigenous governments and communities.
• 4 potential freshwater NMCA sites have been identified.

Marine Areas

• Under Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made an historic investment in protecting the health of Canada's oceans, including $976.8 million over five years to reach ambitious marine conservation targets. Of this, Parks Canada was allocated $52.1 million to undertake feasibility assessments and negotiations leading to the establishment of 10 new national marine conservation areas that would contribute 230,000 km2 or at least 4 % to the 25 % by 2025 target.
• In February 2023 at the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), Parks Canada announced the launch of the new Policy to guide the establishment and management of National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs), and reiterated the government's commitment to create 10 new NMCAs to help protect 25% of Canada's waters by 2025 while ensuring this work is grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives.
• Parks Canada currently has ten active proposals for new national marine conservation areas across Canada. Of these, seven are in the process of undertaking a feasibility assessment.
• In April 2022, Parks Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced that they would negotiate a memorandum of understanding to launch a feasibility assessment for a national marine conservation area to protect the South Coast Fjords offshore southwestern Newfoundland, along with a proposal for an adjacent national park.
• In February 2022, Parks Canada and the Nunatsiavut Government announced a commitment to complete a feasibility assessment for the Torngats Area of Interest, a marine area adjacent to the Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador.
• In August 2021, Parks Canada and several First Nations and the Province of British Columbia announced the launch of a feasibility assessment for a new national marine conservation area reserve for the Central Coast.
• In August 2021, a feasibility study was launched with Indigenous communities for a national marine conservation area in Western James Bay and Southwestern Hudson Bay.
• In working towards these new national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada will ensure that this work remains grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and local perspectives, and will result in co-management agreements with Indigenous governments and communities.

Q5. How does Canada support Indigenous stewardship of the lands and waters within protected areas?

• The Government of Canada is committed to enabling Indigenous peoples to fulfill their roles as traditional stewards of lands and waters within protected areas, and Parks Canada and Environment Canda place a priority on working collaboratively with Indigenous governments and communities in the establishment and co-management of new protected areas.
• Many Indigenous governments and communities have expressed a desire to see additional sites established as national parks, national wildlife areas, and national marine conservation areas. For example, the Mi'kmaq of PEI are working with Parks Canada to protect a traditional area and sacred place as a new national park reserve. First Nations in Nova Scotia are working with Environment Canada on the establishment of new marine National Wildlife Areas.
• Parks Canada and Environment Canada place a priority on working with Indigenous peoples to establish new national marine conservation areas and marine National Wildlife Areas, as seen in the recently launched feasibility assessments on Central Coast, Western James Bay and Southwestern Hudson Bay, and the Torngats Area-of-Interest: all of these projects are being undertaken in partnership and collaboration with Indigenous peoples. Inuit communities in Nunavut requested the establishment of three National Wildlife Areas on and adjacent to Baffin Island, and more recently, Environment Canada has been asked to collaborate with Inuit to create new protected areas on the Belcher Islands.
• Parks Canada and Environment Canada provide funding to support Indigenous leadership in national projects through contribution agreements.
• Parks Canada and Environment Canada's commitment to enabling Indigenous peoples to fulfill their roles as traditional stewards of waters has resulted in many Indigenous governments and communities expressing a desire to see additional sites established as national marine conservation areas or marine National Wildlife Areas.
• In a recent example, the project of protecting marine areas of western James Bay and Southwestern Hudson Bay was brought forward to Parks Canada by the leadership of the Mushkegowuk Council. The Council unanimously agreed that the area requires protection and sought partnership with Parks Canada to collaborate and work towards the establishment of the area as a national marine conservation area.
• Parks Canada and the Nunatsiavut Government are jointly assessing the feasibility of establishing an Indigenous protected area under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act offshore northern Labrador; this is the first time Parks Canada has committed to an Indigenous protected area from the start of the process.

Species at Risk

Q1. What is the Government doing to support species at risk?

• We are committed to the protection and recovery of Canada's species at risk and their habitats based on science and Indigenous knowledge.
• We are committed to fulfilling our statutory obligations under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). These include developing recovery strategies in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples, including the identification of critical habitat. 
• We are committed to advancing conservation efforts collaboratively with our partners on shared priorities across Canada. This includes priority places, species, sectors and threats under the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada
• Canada's collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples is helping our partners accelerate their work on species at risk, including through Nature Agreement commitments to protecting and conserving ecosystems across Canada, and to making sure that species' habitat needs are reflected in more integrated land-use planning decisions.
• In addition to Budget 2021's historic investment of $2.3 billion over five years – the largest investment in nature conservation in Canada's history - Budget 2023 committed $184 million over three years to continue the implementation of the Government's statutory obligations under SARA including to monitor, protect and promote the recovery of species at risk. Our investments and engagement enable on-the ground actions to achieve better outcomes for species at risk.
• We seek to achieve benefits for species at risk across our conservation efforts. We establish new protected areas, work with colleagues in the United States on shared migratory bird priorities, and demonstrate leadership on the international stage. On the latter, Canada is actively developing its National Biodiversity Strategy to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an ambitious international initiative aimed at tackling the biodiversity crisis, including species at risk recovery.
• At home, we will continue to partner with Indigenous peoples to advance conservation actions in a manner that reflects their unique needs, priorities, rights, knowledge, and respects our collective efforts towards reconciliation.

Q2. What is the Government doing to respond to the spring 2023 reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development?

• ECCC agrees with the Commissioner's recommendations, and we are committed to fulfilling our obligations related to species at risk recovery planning and reporting in a timely manner. 
• We are working in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada to ensure we have the necessary tools and processes in place to reduce backlogs, by completing outstanding recovery strategies and action plans.
• The Department continues to refine and publish policies to improve overall transparency and efficiency of SARA implementation. For example, my Department recently completed consultations on a new Imminent Threat Assessment Policy as recommended by the Commissioner.
• The Government of Canada will continue to report on key indicators related to our responsibility for the conservation and recovery of species at risk as we work collaboratively with provincial/territorial governments, Indigenous people and stakeholders to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Species at risk conservation is a shared responsibility between the federal government and provincial/territorial governments.

Q3. What is the Government doing for caribou?

• Provinces and territories have the primary responsibility to manage lands and wildlife on non-federal land. The Government of Canada is working in cooperation with provinces, territories, wildlife management boards, Indigenous peoples, and stakeholders to implement actions to protect at-risk caribou species and their habitat, and to achieve positive conservation outcomes.
• The Government of Canada has been actively working with provinces and territories, and Indigenous peoples, to negotiate and implement conservation agreements to advance the conservation and recovery of boreal caribou and southern mountain caribou.
• Eleven conservation agreements have been signed with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities to aid the recovery of boreal caribou and southern mountain caribou. Discussions for extending or renewing expiring agreements are underway. Negotiations with Quebec are on hold until its full Caribou Strategy is released, timing is unknown.
• Agreements aim to deliver tangible on-the-ground actions, with a focus on conservation measures to improve boreal caribou and southern mountain caribou outcomes, including habitat protection and restoration. In particular, Canada is seeking range planning commitments or similar approaches leading to self-sustaining local caribou populations. Additionally, the government extends financial assistance through contribution agreements with Indigenous peoples and stakeholders.
• Through its historic investments in nature in 2018 (Nature Legacy) and 2021 (Enhanced Nature Legacy), the Government of Canada has and will continue to advance a number of on-the-ground initiatives to support boreal caribou and southern mountain caribou recovery, many of which are implemented in collaboration with Indigenous peoples. Canada's 2 Billion Trees program also contributes to the restoration of caribou habitat through tree planting activities.
• Parks Canada has taken concrete steps to reduce threats to southern mountain caribou and create better conditions for their survival and recovery. A Budget 2021 investment of $24M over 5 years from the Enhanced Nature Legacy Initiative is supporting the assessment, engagement and detailed design of a conservation breeding facility to rebuild caribou herds in Jasper National Park. Parks Canada could begin to bring wild caribou into this new conservation breeding facility as early as 2025.
• The Recovery Strategy for Peary Caribou, prepared in collaboration with co-management partners, was published in fall 2022. It sets the strategic direction to arrest or reverse the decline of the species, including the identification of critical habitat to the extent possible.

Q4. What is the government doing for caribou in Quebec?

• We have been working with the Government of Quebec since 2018 to support its boreal caribou conservation efforts and improve recovery outcomes for the species, including through two agreements between 2018 and 2022. We could only transfer $4.28M of the $11.6M agreed to for the period 2018 and 2023 to support activities that Quebec had undertaken because the province considerably reduced the scope of its work.
• After recommending to Cabinet the making of a protection order under s.61 of the Species at Risk Act for boreal caribou critical habitat in Ontario and Quebec in 2023, the Government of Canada directed my department to continue pursuing collaborative approaches, at this time, for the species protection and recovery.
• Quebec announced its intent to develop its Stratégie pour les caribous forestiers et montagnards for both boreal and Atlantic-Gaspésie caribou in 2016. Following several delays, in August 2022, Quebec committed to publishing the Caribou Strategy by June 2023. This was again delayed due to wildfires.
• On April 30, 2024, Quebec released proposed conservation measures that cover three areas (two boreal caribou ranges and one in Gaspésie). Quebec has not provided a timeline for their full strategy. Upon release, the full Caribou Strategy will be assessed by the Canadian Wildlife Service against requirements of the federal recovery strategy, as well as by an expert panel led by Science and Technology Branch to identify its strengths and weaknesses. The outcomes will inform future negotiations with the province on a long-term collaboration agreement for the management, protection and recovery of boreal and Atlantic-Gaspésie caribou.
• Canada has also invested $24.7M since 2013 for conservation projects by Indigenous communities and organizations in Quebec, including newly signed agreements funded until 2026. These projects include Indigenous-led protected areas in boreal caribou habitat and a wide variety of conservation measures like habitat restoration, predator control, scientific research and more.

Q5. What is the Government doing for Caribou in Ontario?

• After recommending to Cabinet the making of a protection order under s.61 of the Species at Risk Act for boreal caribou critical habitat in Ontario and Quebec in 2022, the Government of Canada directed my department to continue pursuing collaborative approaches, at this time, for the species protection and recovery.
• On April 21, 2022, the governments of Canada and Ontario signed a 5-year conservation agreement for boreal caribou under sections 10 and 11 of the Species at Risk Act.
• The agreement includes important new commitments for habitat restoration activities, exploring opportunities for increased habitat protection, refinement and validation of evidence-based approaches to managing caribou, monitoring and reporting, alignment of policy frameworks, and Indigenous and stakeholder collaboration. 
• Ontario has shown progress on all 13 measures of the agreement. Most notably implementing caribou population monitoring, prioritizing sites for habitat restoration, exploring enhanced protection, developing a science plan for caribou in Ontario, funding of stewardship projects, and progress on the commitment to review, refine and validate existing and alternative evidence-based approaches to maintain or move towards self-sustaining boreal caribou local populations. Indigenous communities and organizations, and a wide range of stakeholders have been engaged in implementation of the agreement.
• The agreement is an important step to achieve positive conservation outcomes for boreal caribou in Ontario and will enable a collaborative approach, as well as federal investments in caribou conservation in Ontario. 
• Canada and Ontario committed a combined total of ~$70M towards conservation agreement implementation over five years.
• ECCC officials are closely monitoring the implementation of the conservation measures laid out in the agreement, which will be publicly reported on annually. The first annual report was published on March 22, 2024. A joint Ontario-Canada news release was published on May 16, 2024 to highlight process on implementation of the conservation agreement including results from recent monitoring.
• ECCC has additionally provided over $4.3M since 2018 for conservation projects by stakeholders and Indigenous communities and organizations in Ontario. These projects include working towards the establishment of Indigenous-led protected areas in boreal caribou habitat and other conservation measures including conservation plan development, gathering and compiling Indigenous Knowledge, disease management, scientific research, modelling, and monitoring.

Q6. What is the Government doing for Western Chorus Frog?

• The government has taken urgent measures to protect important habitat for the western chorus frog from the threat of urban development in La Prairie and in Longueuil, part of the Montreal Metropolitan Community.
• In addition, we have orders in place on our own federal lands to ensure the critical habitat for the species is protected.
• On the stewardship front, ECCC invested more than $20M over 4 years in a contribution agreement to Nature-Action Québec to contribute to the recovery of the western chorus frog in the Montérégie region.
• We have also made investments in numerous projects like breeding and re-introduction programs that aim to conserve and recover the species across Ontario and Quebec. 
• ECCC continues to advance collaborative outcomes for protecting and recovering the species through the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada.

Q7. What is the Government doing for old growth-dependent species in B.C., including Spotted Owl?

• British Columbia's old growth forests are home to many species at risk, including Spotted Owl, Marbled Murrelet, southern mountain caribou, and Northern Goshawk.
• The federal government is committed to collaborating towards the recovery and protection of these forest-dependent species at risk in British Columbia.
• On November 3, 2023, Canada announced the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation with the province of British Columbia and the First Nations Leadership Council. The agreement will help all parties to better protect, conserve and restore habitats, including old growth forests, improve ecosystem resilience and the recovery of species at risk, and advance Indigenous-led conservation.
• The Tripartite Framework Agreement comes with a federal commitment to fund up to $500M of conservation action in the province over the duration of the agreement until 2030.
• This includes the mandate letter commitment to work with the province to establish a $50M Old Growth Nature Fund that incents third party funding, supports Indigenous community leadership in conservation, and protects hectares.
• Old growth forests and the species dependent on them are found primarily on provincial lands, and we continue to look first to the province to protect and recover species at risk on those lands and to manage its forestry sector.
• With respect to Spotted Owl, we are pursuing a collaborative, stewardship-based approach that respects the province's role in the protection of species at risk and encourages greater collaboration with British Columbia in the recovery efforts for Spotted Owl. This approach also seeks to support the continued participation of Indigenous nations and organizations in the species' recovery.
• The federal and provincial governments, in partnership with First Nations, are working to formalize commitments to protect and recover the Spotted Owl through a conservation agreement related to the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation between Canada, British Columbia, and the First Nations Leadership Council.
• The Government of Canada will closely monitor progress towards protection measures and will consider pursuing actions under the Species at Risk Act if there is a lack of progress.

Canada Water Agency and the Freshwater Action Plan

Q1. What is the mandate of the Canada Water Agency and what is the status of creating the stand-alone Agency?

• The mandate of the Canada Water Agency is to improve freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to proactively address national, and regional transboundary, freshwater challenges and opportunities.
• The Canada Water Agency currently exists within Environment and Climate Change Canada. Legislation to create the standalone Canada Water Agency was introduced on November 30, 2023 (in the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act). Once the legislation is in place, the Government will work quickly to launch the standalone Agency.

Q2. Where is the Canada Water Agency located and how much will it cost?

• In Budget 2023, the Government committed to locating the headquarters in Winnipeg. The Canada Water Agency also has regional offices across Canada reflecting the regional nature of freshwater issues.
• Winnipeg is near one of the major Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in Lake Winnipeg. It is an important hub for sustainable development and water in Canada, an important historical gathering place for Indigenous peoples, and the broader region (the Prairies) is highly dependent on water for agriculture and vulnerable to climate change impacts.
• [For additional detail: Winnipeg is located on Treaty One lands, the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Anisininew, Dakota, Lakota, and Dene peoples, and the homeland of the Red River Métis. Winnipeg receives its drinking water from Treaty Three territory (Shoal Lake 40 First Nation) and almost all hydroelectricity from Treaty Five territory. Winnipeg has the largest urban Indigenous population of any city in Canada.]
• Budget 2023 invested $85.1 million over five years and $21 million ongoing to support the creation of the Canada Water Agency.

Q3. What is the Freshwater Action Plan and will the Canada Water Agency be responsible for delivering it?

• The majority of Environment and Climate Change Canada's efforts to protect transboundary waterbodies of national significance were amalgamated in 2017 with the creation of the Freshwater Action Plan. The Freshwater Action Plan is an ecosystem-based approach used to protect and restore water for drinking, recreation, and economic purposes. Since its creation, activities under the Freshwater Action Plan include restoration and protection actions, science and monitoring (including Indigenous Knowledge Systems), knowledge mobilization, governance, and the assessment of climate change impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystem health.
• Budget 2023 invested $650 million over ten years in a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan to deliver regionally responsive initiatives in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, the St. Lawrence River, the Fraser River, the Wolastoq/Saint John River, the Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.
• As the Prime Minister announced during President Biden's 2023 visit, a significant potion of the new Budget 2023 funding ($420 million over 10 years) is for the Great Lakes. The funding is part of a renewed joint commitment to preserving and restoring these critical waters, building on 50 years of Canada-U.S. collaboration.
• The Canada Water Agency will deliver on key elements of the strengthened Freshwater Action Plan to improve freshwater outcomes; restore, protect, and manage waterbodies of national significance; and improve freshwater quality. Environment and Climate Change Canada will continue to deliver certain elements such as freshwater science.

Q4. How will the Canada Water Agency work with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples and stakeholders?

• Freshwater management in a country as vast as Canada is complex. Challenges vary by region and addressing them can involve multiple jurisdictions. 
• Between 2020 - 2023, ECCC conducted extensive engagement on Canada's most pressing freshwater challenges and the potential role for the Canada Water Agency.
• The department engaged with over 2700 Canadians, all provinces and territories, and representatives or advocates for over 750 Indigenous communities (including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis settlements and locals in regions throughout Canada).
• To facilitate collaboration with provinces and territories, the Canada Water Agency will aim to leverage existing mechanisms such as the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, and various advisory and coordination committees that currently exist under the mature Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives. The Agency will continue to respect provincial and territorial jurisdiction.
• One of the important roles of the Canada Water Agency will be to engage First Nations, Inuit, and Métis on advancing the review of the Canada Water Act and implementing the Freshwater Action Plan.
• The Government of Canada will continue to engage with partners as the Agency becomes fully operational.

Q5. How will the Canada Water Agency work to review the Canada Water Act?

• More than 50 years after the Canada Water Act came into force, the federal government is opening a discussion on how this legislation could better reflect Canada's current freshwater reality.
• As an initial step, the Agency is seeking input from partners on how they want to be engaged. This will culminate in meaningful, responsive, and supported engagement plans.
• Next, the Agency will engage with partners in accordance with the engagement plans. The aim will be to identify the objectives of the Canada Water Act and how to fulfill those objectives through improvements to the Act or other means.

Q6. Will the Canada Water Agency be responsible for addressing drinking water on Reserves?

• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that First Nations have access to safe, clean drinking water.
• Indigenous Services Canada is the federal lead for drinking water on reserves.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada has worked closely with Indigenous Services Canada to support the development of First Nations drinking water legislation. The departments have identified areas where the Canada Water Agency could potentially support Indigenous Service Canada's important work on clean drinking water, including around source water protection.

Wastewater

Q1. What is the federal government doing to address the amount of untreated or undertreated wastewater effluent released in the environment?

• The Government of Canada does not support releases of raw sewage. To address this issue the Government of Canada has:
  • put in place the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations, with effluent quality standards which came into effect in 2015. The standards are achievable through secondary treatment. This level of treatment allows the removal of up to 95% of conventional pollutants and up to 90% of other contaminants.
  • made significant investments in infrastructure. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has contributed $2.8 billion to more than 2,000 wastewater projects. This includes $2.3 billion from new investment programs (Investing in Canada Plan, Clean Water and Wastewater Fund).
• The Regulations address untreated wastewater releases from communities without wastewater treatment by setting clear conditions and timelines to upgrade to meet the national standards.
  • Some communities needed to conduct major construction or upgrades to their existing infrastructure to meet these limits. These major infrastructure projects take significant time to plan, finance, and build. The Regulations allowed for extensions beyond 2015 (transitional authorization) to comply with the limits.
  • Communities had until June 2014 to apply for this extension, which could be issued for the end of 2020, 2030, or 2040. However, more than one hundred communities did not apply.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada is proposing to amend the Regulations so that these communities have another opportunity to apply. The deadlines under a transitional authorization will remain the same.
• Communities also need to maintain, repair, and upgrade their sewer systems, which can also sometimes result in unavoidable releases of undertreated wastewater.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada is proposing to amend the Regulations to establish a risk-based approach for all planned releases, which set clear conditions based on the level of risk to the environment.
• Proposed amendments to the Regulations were published in the Canada Gazette Part I for a 60-day public consultation period on May 27, 2023. We are working towards publishing the final amended Regulations in Canada Gazette Part II in spring 2024.

Q2. Why did the federal government authorize the release of billions of litres of raw sewage in the St. Lawrence River in 2015?

• In October 2015, the City of Montreal planned to conduct critical maintenance work to their main sewer infrastructure to prevent equipment failure or breakage that would lead to an uncontrolled release of raw sewage.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada informed the City that the planned release could not be authorised under the federal wastewater regulations since they were expected to be releases directly from the sewer system rather than a final discharge point in the treatment system. Releases from the sewer system are not authorized under the Regulation and are subject to the Fisheries Act.
• Three Ministerial Orders were issued under the Fisheries Act on the situation.
• The final order on November 9, 2015, did not authorize the release of raw sewage but established legally binding conditions as this deposit was subject to the Fisheries Act.
  • Conditions in the final Order included:
    • putting in place a management plan to reduce deposits from large industrial, institutional or commercial facilities to the City of Montreal's sewers during the event;
    • enhanced water quality and environmental monitoring, mitigation, and clean-up measures;
    • sharing data with ECCC; and, 
    • participating in an ECCC-led comprehensive review of the events that led up to the discharge.
• The City of Montreal complied with the conditions set in the final Ministerial Order.

Q3. How much wastewater is released every year?

• There is roughly 6 billion m3 of wastewater released into Canadian waterways each year. 
• Approximately 75% of the volume of wastewater released is treated to a minimum level of secondary treatment.
• Approximately 24% of wastewater volumes are undertreated, and 1% are untreated.

Contaminated Sites

Q1. What is the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP)?

• The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) is the Government's core program for managing federal contaminated sites. It was established in 2005.
• This program reduces risks to Canadians and the environment. It also supports other government priorities such as skills development, training and employment of Canadians, including in Indigenous communities and in northern and rural areas.
• The program was renewed from 2020-2035 and provided $1.16B in funding from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
• Budget 2024 renewed the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan for 2025-26 to 2029-30. Funding of $1.47 billion will be used to address priority federal contaminated sites, including those that pose the most risks to the environment and human health and sites in places where Indigenous Peoples, racialized and low-income Canadians live.
• 19 federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations currently receive funding under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan. 

Q2. How is the Government addressing contaminated sites affecting Indigenous Peoples?

• Through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), the government is addressing federal contaminated sites affecting Indigenous peoples, including sites on reserve lands and in the territories.
• When the Government renewed the FCSAP in 2019 it expanded program parameters to accelerate the clean-up of federal sites located on Indigenous reserves and in the territories.
• The renewed program supports reconciliation by:
  • Reducing on-reserve contamination and associated liability;
  • Increasing engagement and participation of Indigenous peoples regionally and locally in prioritizing and planning remediation projects; and
  • Providing greater opportunities for Indigenous workers and businesses in service-delivery contracts with the federal government.
• The Prime Minister's Mandate Letter to ECCC is challenging the government to do even more to identify and prioritize the clean-up of contaminated sites in areas where Indigenous, racialized and low-income Canadians live.
  • Through funding announced in Budget 2024 for the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, the Government of Canada is investing to address federal contaminated sites in places where these groups of Canadians live.

Q3. What is the role of Environment and Climate Change Canada with respect to contaminated sites? 

• ECCC has three roles; it:
  • serves as the Secretariat for the horizontal Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, providing government-wide leadership and guidance for federal contaminated sites and their custodians, along with Treasury Board Secretariat;
  • provides expert technical support and advice to federal custodians; and
  • assesses and remediates contaminated sites under its responsibility.

Q4. How are contaminated sites managed in the Territories?

• The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan provides funding to federal organizations that have contaminated sites in the territories.
• Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) provides overall leadership for federal contaminated sites in the territories. 
• CIRNAC's Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program, approved in 2019, addresses the 8 largest and highest-risk abandoned mines in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, which include the Faro and Giant Mines.

Q5. What is the Government doing to address the G&R Recycling site in Kanesatake, Quebec?

• The Federal Government is working closely with the Kanesatake First Nation to find a path forward to remediate the site.
• Indigenous Services Canada is leading these efforts, with scientific and technical support from Environment and Climate Change Canada in areas related to its mandate and expertise.

Q6. What progress has been made to address federal contaminated sites?

• The Government of Canada is committed to protecting our environment and reducing human health risks from federal contaminated sites. We are acting on our commitment.
• There are more than 24,000 identified federal contaminated sites – since 2005, more than 18,000 have been “closed,” meaning they no longer pose a risk.

Q7. The report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development's states that FCSAP and the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program have not been effective in reducing the liability of Northern contaminated sites. What is the Government's response?

• Since 2005, more than 75% of federal contaminated sites, over 18,000, have been closed, resulting in significant reductions in risk to human health and the environment, and liability.
• Underlying environmental liability exists, whether it is known and measured or not. FCSAP and Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program (NAMRP) both help to understand and quantify Canada's environmental liability, and that work is ongoing. The liability would be $4.6 billion higher without the actions taken by these two programs for remediation and risk management.
• The report misrepresents liability associated with federal contaminated sites of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and the Northern Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. The report does not adequately consider that as sites are assessed, underlying liability is revealed, nor does it recognize the significant remediation and risk management actions that have occurred to reduce liability.

Elk Valley

Q1. What is the government doing to address pollution from coal mines in the Elk Valley?

• The Government of Canada is committed to preventing and managing pollution from industrial sectors.
• On March 26, 2021, following an investigation by Environment and Climate Change Canada, Teck Coal Limited was ordered to pay a total of $60 million in fines and monetary court orders after a guilty plea was entered on two counts of unlawfully depositing a deleterious substance into waters frequented by fish, contrary to S.36 (3) of the Fisheries Act. Two million dollars of the fine was paid to the Receiver General, and $58 million was directed to the Environmental Damages Fund, which will be used for priority projects that benefit fish and fish habitat in the Elk Valley and Kootenay Region. In addition to the penalty, the company must also comply with a Fisheries Act Direction, which requires the development of various measures to prevent further pollution. This sentence is the highest ever imposed by a court for pollution in violation of the Fisheries Act.
• The Government of Canada is developing the Coal Mining Effluent Regulations (CMER) under the Fisheries Act. The proposed Regulations are targeted for publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I in fall 2024, for a 60-day consultation period, with final regulations following about a year later.
• The CMER will manage threats to fish and fish habitat from coal mining effluent by setting national effluent quality standards.

Q2. What is the relationship between the possible regulations and the Ktunaxa Nation Council's request for an International Joint Commission reference?

• The Government of Canada is dedicated to ensuring Canada's freshwaters including boundary and transboundary waters, are treated as precious resources that deserve protection and careful stewardship.
• We know that concerns have been raised by the Ktunaxa Nation, on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, and by U.S. federal and state officials regarding transboundary water pollution from coal mines in the Elk Valley. Along with interest in the proposed regulations, these parties have also requested a joint Canada-U.S. reference to the International Joint Commission (IJC).
• Canada is actively engaging on the Prime Minister and President of the United States Leaders' statement committing to reach an agreement in principle to mitigate the impacts of water pollution in the Kootenay watershed, in partnership with Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples.
• ECCC is developing Coal Mining Effluent Regulations (CMER) under the federal Fisheries Act. The Regulations will manage threats to fish and fish habitat from coal mining effluent by setting national effluent quality standards. Once finalized, the proposed CMER would limit the release of deleterious substances from coal mines in Canada, including in the Elk Valley, and require data collection. Concerns leading to calls for an IJC reference are broader in scope than what CMER proposes to address, and officials are in discussions with partners regarding those concerns.
• ECCC is engaging with the Ktunaxa Nation Council (KNC) on key provisions of the regulatory proposal for the Elk Valley and will continue collaborative work to address water quality issues in the region.

Environmental Justice – Right to a Healthy Environment

Q1. What would Private Member's Bill C-226 National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and Advance Environmental Justice do? Would it meet the Minister's mandate letter commitment to “introduce legislation to require the development of an environmental justice strategy”?

• The Bill, if passed, would create a new Act requiring the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to develop a national strategy to promote efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism. This would be done in consultation with interested parties, and in a manner consistent with Canada's recognition of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
• The Bill's approach aligns with the Minister's mandate letter commitment and the Government has indicated its support of the Bill.

Q2. What is a right to a healthy environment?

• For the first time in a federal statute in Canada, CEPA recognizes that every individual in Canada has a right to a healthy environment as provided under the Act. Having a right to a healthy environment means having an environment that is clean, healthy, and sustainable.
• As the right is a new concept in federal law and policy, Bill S-5 required that the right be elaborated in an implementation framework to be developed within two years from the date of Royal Assent. The implementation framework, which will be developed in consultations with Canadians, will ensure that the right is meaningful in the CEPA context.

Q3. How will the right to a healthy environment impact individuals in Canada?

• It will establish a new lens for decision making under CEPA by introducing a requirement to consider the right as programs that aim to prevent harm from pollution, make decisions about how to assess the risks, implement actions to address them, report and monitor on the results. The goal is to complement existing mechanisms and provide for meaningful implementation and continual, progressive improvement in protecting all individuals in Canada and the environment.

Q4. How will a Right to a Healthy Environment implementation align with the development of the proposed National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and Advance Environmental Justice?

• Private Members Bill C-226 was introduced in February 2022 and once passed, would require the development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and Advance Environmental Justice.
• That strategy is separate from a Right, which applies specifically to CEPA, and which will consider environmental justice as a key principle in the development of the implementation framework.
• As officials engage on the development of implementation framework under CEPA, feedback and input received may also be used to inform the development of the national strategy on environmental justice.

Kearl Oil Sands Tailings Pond / Oil Sands Effluent Regulations

Q1. Is the government developing regulations to allow oil sands mines to release effluent to the Athabasca River?

• Oil sands mines generate process water and tailings that are stored in tailings ponds. These tailings ponds are continually growing and over time will reach their capacity and create challenges for land reclamation.
• The Government of Canada is exploring options to manage the accumulation of oil sands mine water from oil sands operations in tailings ponds. One of the options under consideration is the development of regulations to allow releases of treated effluent to the Athabasca River and its tributaries.
• If regulations were to be developed, they would impose strict protective standards based on the best available scientific information and Indigenous knowledge.
• ECCC is also exploring alternatives to the release of treated effluent to ensure that all options are considered before a decision is made on the path forward.

Q2. Are Indigenous communities being consulted on the regulations?

• Environment and Climate Change Canada has launched a Crown-Indigenous Working Group with nine First Nations and Métis communities in the oil sands region.
• Through this group, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Indigenous communities are working together to develop materials and recommendations towards establishing a potential regulatory approach for oil sands mining effluent regulations, including assessment of alternatives to effluent release.
• Recommendations on potential regulations will ensure that they are protective of the environment and human health and minimize or avoid potential impacts to Indigenous rights.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada is also engaging with Indigenous groups bilaterally to discuss potential impacts to Treaty and Aboriginal rights.

Single Use Plastics

Q1. What are single-use plastics?

• Single-use plastics are designed to be used once or for a short period of time before they are discarded. They will often lose their functionality, capacity or quality if used multiple times. The term “disposable plastic” is used interchangeably with “single-use plastic”.

Q2. Why did Canada ban or restrict certain single-use plastics?

• In October 2020, the Government of Canada released a Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution. The Science Assessment presents a thorough scientific review of the occurrence and potential impacts of plastic pollution on human health and the environment. The Assessment found that plastic pollution is everywhere - in the air, water, and land - and macroplastic pollution (greater than 5mm in size) harms wildlife and damages habitats. The Science Assessment concluded that, in accordance with the precautionary principle, action is needed to reduce plastics that end up in the environment.
• Single-use plastic items and packaging are of the most common plastic pollution items found littering shorelines and beaches in Canada and around the world. Plastic packaging is also the largest contributor of plastic waste globally and in Canada representing more than half (52%) of Canada's plastic waste in 2019.
• Canadians also called for the Government to take action on plastic pollution. In 2020, a survey by Abacus Data indicated that 86% of Canadians supported a federal ban on harmful single-use plastics, an increase from the 81% support rate from the previous year (2019).
• Prevention is the most effective way to reduce plastic waste and pollution. That is why as part of Canada's evidence-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic pollution and move towards a circular plastics economy, the Government took preventative action by eliminating certain single-use plastics that are commonly found in the environment as pollution, pose a threat to wildlife and their habitats, are difficult to recycle and have readily available alternatives.

Q3. How does the recent Federal Court decision affect the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations; are they still in force?

• On November 16, 2023, the Federal Court retroactively declared the 2021 Order adding “plastic manufactured items” to the List of Toxic Substances in Schedule 1 to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 invalid and unlawful.
• On December 8, 2023, the Government of Canada filed an appeal of the Federal Court's decision and on January 25, 2024, the Federal Court of Appeal granted a stay motion. The stay motion prevents the court ruling of November 16, 2023, from taking effect while the Government's appeal is ongoing.
• The Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations remain in force.
• In 2022, as part of Canada's evidence-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic pollution, the Government introduced the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations to phase-out six categories of single-use plastics that are commonly found in the environment as pollution, pose a threat to wildlife and their habitats, are difficult to recycle and have readily available alternatives.
• The Regulations have spurred businesses across Canada to elevate their efforts and successfully transition to sustainable alternatives, including the adoption of reusable items.
• Plastic pollution is harming wildlife and their habitats. The Government of Canada will continue to advance actions to prevent plastic pollution and waste, and Environment and Climate Change Canada remains committed to implementing a comprehensive and science-based approach to reduce plastic pollution and move toward a circular economy.

Q4. What else is the Government of Canada doing to address the environmental harm from single-use plastics?

• The Government will continue to conduct and support plastics science and monitor Canadian pollution data and other sources of information to inform actions and measure progress over time. We will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to identify additional areas where action is needed.
• The Government of Canada works with provincial and territorial governments, through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), towards its shared vision of a zero plastic waste future where plastics stay in the economy and out of the environment. Together we developed a Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan and are implementing targeted actions to reduce plastic waste and pollution.
  • As part of this work, we, along with our provincial and territorial counterparts through the CCME, published A Roadmap to Strengthen the Management of Single-Use and Disposable Plastics. This document is another tool to guide the prioritization and management of single-use and disposable plastic items.

Q5. What else is the Government of Canada doing to address plastic pollution at large?

• The Government of Canada is implementing an ambitious, evidence-based and comprehensive plan to reduce plastic pollution and move towards a circular plastics economy through a range of complementary actions across the plastics lifecycle.
• The comprehensive plan includes conducting and investing in science to inform actions and measure progress over time, including through the development of a federal plastics data inventory to provide consistent and robust plastic data.
• The Government of Canada is taking targeted action, in alignment with the waste hierarchy, to improve how plastics are made, used, and managed to keep them in the economy and out of the environment. This includes enabling innovations and sector, product, and value chain-based solutions for a systematic shift towards a circular economy; greening operations and procurement; and addressing plastic pollution, including through the prevention and removal of ghost gear.
• By reducing plastic pollution and keeping plastics in the economy and out of the environment, we can strengthen sustainable economies, grow jobs, help fight climate change, and protect biodiversity and the environment.
• The Government of Canada is also developing a Federal Plastics Registry that will require producers to report annually on the quantity and types of plastic they place on the Canadian market, how it moves through the economy, and, most importantly, how it is managed at its end-of-life. The Federal Plastics Registry sets a clear pathway to collect critical information that will inform and support the implementation of Canada's evidence-based and comprehensive plan and help measure progress over time to prevent plastic pollution and protect the environment.

Extreme Weather Events and Alerting Capabilities

Q1. What is the seasonal forecast for floods in Canada?

• The MSC uses its highly technological and integrated monitoring, modelling, and forecasting system to generate flood, drought, and temperature projections at various timescales.
• Using coupled water quantity and atmospheric data, the MSC is able to produce more and more accurate projections of certain conditions from days to weeks, to months in advance.
• For the spring and summer of 2024 across Canada, the MSC can make a few broad assertions, based on current and past conditions, as well as forecasts:
  • With a dry fall and winter, and lower than average snowpack paired with projected normal precipitation and above normal temperatures, there is not currently a high spring flood risk in Canada.
  • This situation could change, as we are still in the season of potential snow accumulation. Currently, precipitation and temperature outlooks don't extend to the normal snow melt season, and local conditions vary.
  • This broader pattern, should it continue, elevates the risks of wildfires.

Q2. Who is responsible for alerting the Canadian public of severe and extreme weather?

• ECCC is Canada's authoritative voice for impact-based forecasts, warnings and services related to weather, water quantity, climate, ice, and air quality conditions across Canada on a 24/7 basis.
• Other alerts fall within the responsibility and jurisdiction of other federal partners, or provincial, territorial, or municipal authorities supported by ECCC expertise and information. For example, provinces and territories are responsible for flood forecasting, issuing of flood warnings and emergency management activities within their jurisdictions, with enhanced support from ECCC.
• ECCC's prediction and warning services are essential to facilitate the role of federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal organisations to anticipate, manage, and adapt to the risks created by rapid hazards such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, and extreme heat, as well as slow on-set hazards such as droughts, coastal erosion, and sea level rise.
• ECCC's Warning Preparedness Meteorologists work directly with public authorities at the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal levels to provide decision making support before and during severe and extreme weather events. This expertise extends to the provision of advice on potential actions that can be taken to mitigate impacts, save lives and reduce property damage.
• ECCC disseminates a suite of weather products, statements, watches, and warnings to Canadians through multiple digital channels including weather.gc.ca, social media (X and Facebook), and the WeatherCAN mobile app. For life-saving alerts on radio, television, and cellphones dissemination also take place through the National Public Alerting System (NPAS), and for a specific set of meteorological phenomena, namely extreme thunderstorms of a certain magnitude, and tornadoes, a broadcast intrusive alert is issued. NPAS is overseen by federal, provincial, and territorial emergency management officials, with federal leadership provided by Public Safety Canada.
• ECCC provides daily weather information, seasonal outlooks, and support to the Government Operations Center (GOC). Additionally, when Public Safety Canada activates the GOC in response to events affecting the national interest, ECCC provides specialized products (such as specialized plume trajectory forecasts), shares strategic assets/resources, and provides Subject Matter Experts and Liaison Officers to the GOC, as required to support analysis and response.

Q3. How is severe and extreme weather impacting Canadians today?

• Canadians are experiencing more frequent and intense extreme and severe weather and environmental events. In today's changing climate, insured catastrophic losses now regularly reach $2B annually where in the decade before 2008 these same costs averaged $450M per year. Extreme weather events experienced across Canada over the past several years have shown how climate change has already altered our reality and put the safety, security, and economic prosperity of Canadians at risk. For example:
  • In 2023's record Canadian wildfire season, just under 15 million hectares burned (seven times more than the 10-year average) and caused smoke plumes to impact air quality in Toronto, Ottawa and many other densely-populated areas;
  • Between 2022 and 2023, Canada saw several disruptive and damaging hydrological events: summer storms caused flash flooding in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; extreme low water levels on the Mackenzie River disrupted shipping activities in the North; and the entire Winnipeg River basin experienced historic flooding;
  • In 2022, Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec with the Maritime provinces receiving the bulk of the currently estimated $804M in insured damages;
  • In 2022, Quebec and Ontario were impacted by a derecho (a severe, fast-moving wind and thunderstorm) that caused 10 fatalities, and is currently estimated to have caused over $1.1B in insured damages;
  • In 2021, British Columbia experienced an unprecedented summer heat wave which set record high temperatures for the west coast and caused the deaths of 619 people, as well as a devastating precipitation and flooding event which caused up to $675M in insured damages; and,
  • In 2021, the Calgary region of Alberta experienced a powerful hailstorm resulting in over $600M in insured damages. Only a year prior, Alberta was impacted by another hailstorm that caused over $1.1B in insured damages.
• Strong weather and environmental prediction services are critical to help Canadians prepare and respond to increasingly unprecedented weather and its impacts.

Q4. What is being done in Canada and around the world to help people prepare and respond to the increasing frequency and severity of severe and extreme weather and climate events?

• The United Nations has recognized the importance of protecting the global population from the effects of hazardous weather using Early Warning Systems, setting a target of 100% coverage worldwide by 2027.
• Early warning systems are a critical tool for building resilience and for adaptation; they save lives and help to protect critical infrastructure – at minimal cost.
• We are continuously strengthening delivery of services, advice and alerts to Canadians, including last-mile initiatives, and we are exploring development of an Early Warnings Strategy for Canada. ECCC's Warning Preparedness Meteorologists will continue to work directly with public authorities to provide support before and during severe and extreme weather events.
• ECCC periodically upgrades its High Performance Computing (HPC) system and enables ongoing scientific innovation to improve forecast products and services, including better capturing small-scale weather events like severe thunderstorms and providing longer lead times for unprecedented conditions and extreme weather.
• Canada, as it works to improve the effectiveness and reach of domestic information and warnings, is also a key contributor to the World Meteorological Organization's global efforts to achieve the above target.
• In addition to sharing our scientific and technical expertise with the WMO, our contributions include funding support to:
  • The Climate Risk Early Warnings Systems (CREWS) initiative which undertakes work to establish warning systems in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
  • The Systematic Observations Financing Facility, which seeks to fill gaps in the global basic observation network (GBON) focusing again on SIDS and LDCs for monitoring infrastructure investments.
  • Investing in CREWS and SOFF will improve emergency preparedness and build resilience around the world, and will help avert, minimize and address loss and damage in LDCs and SIDS.

Investments in the Meteorological Service of Canada

Q1. What do recent investments in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services enable?

• ECCC received $643.5M over ten years and $62.33M ongoing in Budget 2023 to reinvest in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services.
• This funding specifically renews sunsetting initiatives and supports incremental improvements to ensure continued access to hydro-meteorological data, information, and services that Canadians need to make decisions on a daily basis that support economic activity, environmental stewardship, as well as individual and community safety.
• These investments will allow ECCC to continue delivering mission-critical operations, address first order capacity gaps and infrastructure rust-out, and keep its technologies and systems up to date.
• The 2024-2025 Main Estimates reflect the additional permanent ongoing funding approved in the Treasury Board submission, entitled “Funding for Reinvestment in Canada's Hydro-Meteorological Services” (approved in October 2023).

Q2. Why are further investments in Canada's hydro-meteorological services needed?

• The Government of Canada regularly invests in hydro-meteorological services to keep pace with evolving operational requirements and advancements in science and technology. Previous investments made through Budgets 2013, 2018, 2022 (FES) and 2023 have secured the foundation of the robust hydro-meteorological services we rely on in Canada today.
• In light of the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and their direct impacts on Canadians and communities, there is a need to continue to evolve our hydro-meteorological services.
• Average temperatures in Canada are rising at twice the worldwide average, with the north seeing increases up to three times this global rate. Indeed, extreme weather events experienced across Canada over the past several years have shown how climate change has already altered our reality and put the safety, security, and economic prosperity of Canadians at risk. For example:
  • In 2023's record Canadian wildfire season, just under 15 million hectares burned (seven times more than the 10-year average) and caused smoke plumes to impact air quality in Toronto, Ottawa and many other densely-populated areas;
  • Between 2022 and 2023, Canada saw several disruptive and damaging hydrological events: summer storms caused flash flooding in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia; extreme low water levels on the Mackenzie River disrupted shipping activities in the North; and the entire Winnipeg River basin experienced historic flooding;
  • In 2022, Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec, with the Maritime provinces receiving the bulk of the currently estimated $804M in insured damages;
  • In 2022, Quebec and Ontario were impacted by a derecho (a severe, fast-moving wind and thunderstorm) that caused 10 fatalities, and is currently estimated to have caused over $1.1B in insured damages;
  • In 2021, British Columbia experienced an unprecedented summer heat wave which set record high temperatures for the west coast and caused the deaths of 619 people, followed by devastating precipitation and flooding event which caused up to $675M in insured damages; and,
  • In 2021, the Calgary region of Alberta experienced a powerful hailstorm resulting in over $600M in insured damages. Only a year prior, Alberta was impacted by another hailstorm that caused over $1.1B in insured damages.
• The significant socio-economic impacts of these events underscore the urgent need for Canadian communities to adapt to this new reality, which cannot be achieved without periodic investments in Canada's world-class hydro-meteorological services. Recent events have also highlighted the need to invest in climate-proofing Canada's own monitoring instruments and infrastructure, which are not immune to the impacts of climate change.
  • During the 2021 west coast heat wave, temperatures occasionally exceeded the operating range of sensors and associated quality control mechanisms while several hydrometric stations were washed away during the subsequent intense precipitation and flooding in British Columbia.
• Extreme weather events will continue to occur with increasing frequency and intensity because of climate change. Transforming and evolving weather and environmental prediction services is needed to support Canadians as they face the consequences of increasingly unprecedented weather.

Q3. What are the expected outcomes of new investments in Canada's hydrometeorological services?

• Investments in Canada's highly integrated system of monitoring, modelling, prediction, and forecasting will support the production and dissemination of critical weather, water quantity and environmental information that Canadians and public authorities need to adapt and to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
• More specifically, investments will help ECCC predict extreme weather and weather-induced conditions and their impacts at the local level with more certainty and greater lead-time.
• Funding in the main estimates also secures, on an ongoing basis, salary for up to 15 meteorologist positions previously left vacant due to eroding salary budgets and for five Warning Preparedness Meteorologists, who work directly with public authorities to provide support before and during severe and extreme weather events.
• This expertise and advice will support decision-making by Canadians and public authorities in taking action relating to whether they should travel, closing roads, deploying first responders to a specific area, and relocating specific communities, all with the goal of reducing the impacts—and costs—of weather-related events.
• Additionally, updated and new technologies, alongside more powerful prediction models, will provide the information needed to review warning thresholds and risk assessments that underpin emergency preparedness for both rapid onset weather events and events that evolve slowly (such as droughts).

Q4. What are the expected impacts of the Budget Reduction Exercise on MSC?

• ECCC has identified spending reductions of $197.5M over the next three years, with $91M annually after that. For MSC, this translates into a reduction of $1.6M in 2024-2025 followed by $1.9M in 2025-2026 and ongoing thereafter.
• These reductions will be achieved through decreases to travel and student hirings, as well as attrition; there will be no further specific program reductions as a result of this exercise.
  • Travel is a significant portion of the MSC's O&M costs—approximately 80% of travel is non-discretionary, associated with maintaining/repairing mission-critical observing networks. MSC will prioritize this type of travel, along with travel in support of mandatory health and safety training. Non-discretionary travel will be limited to high priority engagement, for example participation in key World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and virtual participation will be encouraged where possible. 
  • Student hiring is critical to supporting recruitment of the highly specialized workforce of the MSC, which employs approximately 50-70 students every year. MSC will prioritize its key intake programs such as the the Apprenticeship Professional Training Program (APTP) for hydrometric technicians and the Meteorologist Occupational Training Program for operational meteorologists.
  • The MSC relies on a highly specialized workforce, possessing unique scientific, engineering, and technical skills to deliver its mandate. MSC's attrition rate is approximately 4.7% annually, and we will use part of this natural attrition to generate savings, informed by human resources plans. MSC will continue to hire, albeit at a reduced rate, to bring in new talent and expertise.

Weather Stations and Weather Forecasts in the North

Q1. What are some of the Government of Canada's assets and investments related to weather stations and weather forecasting in the North?

• The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) observation assets in the Arctic (North of 60°) include 83 automated weather stations (81 in the Territories and 2 in Northern Quebec), 2 Co-operative Climate Network (CCN) stations, 11 upper air balloon launch stations, 10 lightning detection instruments, 1 satellite receiving station (to be replaced by 2 new stations in 2025/26 to expand coverage and resiliency), 2 seasonal moored marine buoys, 207 hydrometric (water quantity) monitoring stations (with 4 new stations being added in the Northwest Territories in 2024/2025 to support flood forecasting and modelling) and 21 active drifting buoys North of 60° (no geographical delineation). The MSC has also equipped a number of ships operating in the Arctic with weather observing equipment that provides valuable weather observations data from the Arctic waters. An atmospheric instrument testing site in Iqaluit is also being renewed and modernized to test new technologies under northern conditions prior to deployment in operational networks.
• Canadian data, in conjunction with other data from around the globe, are ingested in Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) made-in-Canada high resolution computer models and used to provide weather, climate, and environmental forecasts, across all of Canada, including the North. ECCC's scientists continue to improve these models, which will enable improved products and services for the North. For example, the Canadian Arctic Prediction System, which couples models for the atmosphere and ocean, was recently tested by ECCC researchers and is expected to improve weather forecasts in the Canadian Arctic.
• ECCC provides marine weather forecasts and sea ice information for the navigable waters of Canadian territory and fulfils Canada's international obligation by providing marine weather and ice information for a broad swath of international waters north of 60⁰—an area that includes all Arctic waters from north of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska to the North Pole.
• Hourly surface weather observations are collected at the Eureka research facility, including upper air temperature, wind and humidity information from weather balloon launches (twice daily), data from automatic weather station observations, and other detailed weather condition reports from human observers. The site supports the MSC's core responsibility of predicting weather and environmental conditions, including those in the North.
• Eureka, a Crown-owned real property asset, was the first Joint Arctic Weather Station established on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut. ECCC sought funding of $87.2 million over 5 years, beginning in 2019-20, for infrastructure investments at Eureka and surrounding facilities. These investments are necessary to maintain critical polar-region environmental observations, climate monitoring activities, and maintain Eureka as a key hub for Government of Canada operations and research in the Arctic.

Q2. Has there indeed been a decrease in the number of weather observation stations in the North compared to 20 years ago? If so, what are the reasons for that?

• The MSC operates a wide array of meteorological and hydrological networks to monitor and collect weather, water, climate data from the ground and above from satellites. The MSC collects data from 7 different observing networks including surface weather stations, upper air radiosondes, satellite-based observations, lightning detection, hydrometric stations, weather radars and marine buoys. In addition to automated collection of environmental data from weather stations, the MSC also intakes data from human and volunteer weather observers.
• MSC's networks have changed over the years with the transition from traditional manual weather observing stations to automatic meteorological observing networks. The number of Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) has been increasing, and the number of volunteer-run manual stations in the Co-operative Climate Network (CCN) has been decreasing. Over the last 20 years (2003-2023), the Arctic AWS network has increased by 18 stations (there are 83 AWS today). Over the last 20 years, the number of CCNs in the Arctic has decreased from 24 (2003) to 2 today (2023).
• Co-operative Climate Network (CCN) stations record weather observations (maximum, minimum and average temperature, precipitation amounts, and sometimes snow on ground) as part of a volunteer observer network and are therefore observed on a voluntary basis. The number of CCN sites has been decreasing with the transition to automatic meteorological observing networks. The decrease of manual observations over time is a worldwide phenomenon. Many factors contributed to the transition from manual to automatic including technology advancement; improvement of weather data applications; users requiring improved data latency, frequency, and resolution; requirements for additional parameters; decreased commitment from observers; observer retirements; end of land agreements; and end of collaborations.

Q3. Does ECCC use data from community weather stations, or collect on-the-ground weather data?

• The MSC operates a wide array of meteorological and hydrological networks to monitor and collect weather, water, and climate data from the ground and above from satellites, including from areas across the Arctic.
• In addition to automated collection of environmental data from weather stations, the MSC also intakes data from human and volunteer weather observers.
• Co-operative Climate Network (CCN) stations record weather observations (maximum and minimum temperature, rain or snowfall precipitation amounts, and sometimes snow water equivalent and snow on ground) as part of a volunteer observer network. The observations are made once or twice daily, on a voluntary basis. The number of CCN sites has been decreasing with the transition to automatic meteorological observing networks. The decrease of manual observations over time is a worldwide phenomenon. Many factors contributed to the transition from manual to automatic, including technology advancement; improvement of weather data applications; users requiring improved data latency, frequency, and resolution; requirements for additional parameters; decreased commitment from observers; observer retirements; end of land agreements; and end of collaborations.
• ECCC works closely with McGill University and the Nunatsiavut Government on a field project on the Labrador coast to provide sea ice and weather information to local communities and study the dynamics of landfast ice cover. Such valuable information is used by local communities for fishing, hunting and travelling, and contributes to the improvement of ice prediction models.
• The MSC partners with territorial weather monitoring network operators as part of its Collaborative Monitoring Program which aims to maximize collective monitoring investments by addressing common monitoring gaps. Through this initiative, ECCC has established Collaborative Monitoring Memorandum of Understanding with the Yukon and Northwest Territories. These agreements support increased data exchange, and to date have resulted in data from an additional 90 weather stations being made available to MSC forecasters and Numerical Weather Prediction systems. The MSC has also recently signed a Collaborative Monitoring Memorandum of Understanding with the Cree Nation Government in Northern Quebec as part of a pilot to inform future investments and collaborations with Indigenous and northern communities.

Q4. How do weather radar, satellites and high-resolution computer modelling factor into weather forecasting in the North, and what are some challenges ECCC has encountered in forecasting the weather in the North?

• ECCC relies on made-in-Canada high resolution computer models to provide weather, climate and environmental forecasts, across Canada's vast geography and wide range of weather conditions. In order to generate forecasts on upcoming conditions, most regions of Canada are modelled by our high-resolution model four times a day at a resolution of 2.5 km, and the North is modelled two times a day at a resolution of 3 km.
• ECCC's scientists work to improve high-resolution computer modelling, products and services, including for the North. For example, the Canadian Arctic Prediction System, which couples models for the atmosphere and ocean, was tested recently in research mode as part of the World Meteorological Organisation's Polar Prediction Project. Efforts such as this look to address one of the challenges in forecasting in the North, which is the need for satellite observations to be validated by data on the ground in order to test the computer models and to make the data richer and more useful for weather and environmental prediction.
• Satellites provide important data to strengthen weather and climate monitoring in the North where in situ observations can be challenging. Currently, weather forecasting north of ~55° relies on data from polar-orbiting meteorological satellites operated by foreign partners, including the USA and the European Union. ECCC also operates satellite ground stations that receive and process data from polar orbiting international weather satellites. To ensure continued access to critical satellite data from new polar orbiting satellites, ECCC will install new satellite data-receiving infrastructure in Alberta, Newfoundland, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut by the end of 2025-26.
• ECCC relies heavily on satellite technology and data from the orbiting RADARSAT Constellation Mission for operational near-real time monitoring of sea ice, marine winds and marine oil spill pollution. These satellites are expected to be in service until at least 2027. The Canadian Space Agency has initiated a process to ensure continuity of this data with the next generation of RADARSAT satellites. The MSC recognizes the need to increase observations of the Arctic region so we can improve weather, ocean and ice condition forecasts and situational awareness for northern communities and aviation and maritime navigation sectors and strengthen our ability to predict and prepare for extreme weather events.
• While existing polar-orbiting satellites provide essential data used for monitoring weather in the North, these satellites must orbit Earth multiple times to image the entire Canadian Arctic. To address the resulting spatial and temporal gaps in Arctic satellite data, ECCC, in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and U.S. and European collaborators (NASA and NOAA), is advancing a novel satellite mission concept known as the Arctic Observing Mission. The AOM would use a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) to generate data at unprecedented frequency and quality to monitor weather, greenhouse gases (GHGs), air quality and space weather to understand the changing environment at mid to high latitudes (from 45° to 90° N).

Q5. Does ECCC support NAV CANADA in the provision of forecasting services to communities in the North (including small airports)?

• ECCC provides the aviation weather forecasts on behalf of NAV CANADA for Arctic airports, and provides daily weather forecasts for communities across the North as well. ECCC provides specialized, meteorological decision support services to emergency management authorities to help them manage weather-related risks.

Clean Growth Regulatory Review

Q1. What role does the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada have in clean growth and the transition to net-zero?

• The Impact Assessment Act (IAA) is an important part of the regulatory framework for major clean growth projects, including critical minerals mines, nuclear and others.
• Impact assessment is a project planning tool designed to identify and mitigate potential negative effects of projects to support sustainable growth.
• The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (Agency) leads these assessments serving as the lead and coordinator for Crown-Indigenous consultations, supporting the participation of other federal authorities or lifecycle regulators as appropriate, and enabling a ‘one window' point of contact for proponents and Indigenous groups throughout the impact assessment process.

Q2. What progress has been made in improving the regulatory process for clean growth projects?

• In Budget 2023, the Government committed to outline a concrete plan to improve the efficiency of the impact assessment and permitting processes for major projects, including clarifying and reducing timelines, mitigating inefficiencies, and improving engagement and partnerships. The Fall Economic Statement 2023 reiterated this commitment indicating that a report will be released in the coming months. 
• The Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects (MWG) was established in September 2023 by the Prime Minister and has been working to develop whole-of-government solutions aimed at improving the efficiency and predictability of Canada's regulatory system to support clean growth projects.
• The MWG Chair released a Public Statement on February 1, 2024, on the group's efforts and highlighting some high-level commitments, including but not limited to, the following key commitments:
  • Drive coordination across federal regulatory departments: ensure predictable timelines are met through early coordination, information-sharing and effective communication across more than 10 federal departments and agencies responsible for regulation of major projects;
  • Amend the Impact Assessment Act: bring it in line with the October 2023 decision by the Supreme Court of Canada regarding federal jurisdiction in impact assessments through legislation this spring;
  • Launch a public permitting dashboard: increase transparency and accountability on the progress of major projects beginning with major projects subject to a federal impact assessment and building on the existing Canadian Impact Assessment Registry;
  • Collaborate with provinces and territories to maximize efficiencies: apply more flexible approaches and leveraging existing partnerships, such as the Regional Energy and Resource Tables to maximize efficiencies and reduce duplication across federal and provincial and territorial regulating and permitting processes, while respecting roles and jurisdictions;
  • Improve engagement with Indigenous partners: work with Indigenous partners to determine the best ways to enhance federal coordination of Crown consultation activities and ensure opportunities for meaningful and equitable engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples in regulatory processes from the outset and in a manner that adheres to our commitments under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
  • Catalyze Indigenous ownership: in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and experts, develop an Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program to facilitate Indigenous equity ownership in major projects in the energy and natural resource sector, with more details to be announced in Budget 2024;
  • Address issues unique to the North: advance major projects in the three territories through the Northern Regulatory Initiative through regional studies, improved participation of community members and regulatory dialogues in the North.
• This work is ongoing.
• Outside of forthcoming amendments to the IAA mentioned in the statement, the Agency will continue to work actively to make assessments more efficient, including:
  
  • Tailoring and scoping assessments more effectively to focus on key federal issues and information requirements;
  • Integrating permitting information requirements into impact assessments and coordination post assessment permitting, including to provide transparency on, and reduce, overall timelines;
  • Providing more guidance to proponents to support their consultations and engagement with Indigenous groups;
  • Conducting regional assessments;
  • Updating the Project List as part of the IAA's five-year regulatory review commitment, which will follow the amendments to the IAA;
  • Advancing the Government's commitment towards truth and reconciliation and implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by, for example, developing Indigenous impact assessment co-administration agreement regulations;
  • Establishing agreements with provinces and Indigenous jurisdictions to better harmonize processes.

Q3. How do federal-provincial relations impact progress on clean growth?

• The Government is committed to working collaboratively with provinces and territories to ensure that impact assessments are done as efficiently as possible towards the goal of “one project, one assessment”, and to ensure that good projects continue to move forward in a timely and environmentally responsible way.
• With clarity from the Supreme Court as to the changes that are needed to ensure the constitutionality of the Impact Assessment Act, and the Court's affirmation that the environment - and impact assessment in particular - are areas of shared jurisdiction between the federal and provincial legislatures under the Constitution, we have a renewed basis on which to engage with provinces to maximize cooperation. 
• That said, many clean growth projects will not require a federal impact assessment and will only be assessed provincially, though with federal permitting requirements. There is a need to ensure collaborative approaches where federal and provincial assessments and/or permitting are required to ensure efficiency and certainty.

Q4. How does Canada's regulatory process for clean growth projects compare to that in other jurisdictions?

• First, it is helpful to clarify that the approach to assessments differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, the IAA is focused only on major projects with the potential for adverse effects within federal jurisdiction. By way of comparison, the USA's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) subjects a much wider range of development projects to environmental impact assessments than those covered by the IAA.
• The impact assessment process under the IAA includes requirements for robust consultation and engagement with Indigenous peoples throughout each phase of the process; other jurisdictions do not have the same requirements regarding Indigenous rights, consultations, and accommodations.
• While stated timelines may seem shorter, not all jurisdictions have the same starting point for legislated timelines. For example, significant amounts of work may occur before the legislated timelines officially start – not giving the full picture of how long projects take to work through assessments. 
• As part of their work, the Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects is looking at how other jurisdictions, including the U.S., are working to better coordinate their regulatory processes and that will inform our recommendations.

Q5. How does the Agency engage with Indigenous Peoples in the context of clean growth?

• Advancing the full participation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada's clean growth agenda is essential, and there are key priorities that we need to address collectively to ensure that this is done effectively.
• The Agency has been collaborating with CIRNAC on the whole-of-government approach to consultation and accommodation. The Agency has also had success in leveraging key federal programs, like the Strategic Partnerships Initiative, to fund accommodation measures in the past.
• Project-specific Indigenous engagement during impact assessments contributes to increased clarity on the scope of issues to be addressed can help with timelines and manages expectations without precluding the discussion on important issues.
• In addition to project-specific Indigenous engagement, the Agency can also leverage regional assessments to address some of the issues raised through project-specific Indigenous engagement. Early experiences with regional assessments have demonstrated that discussions at a regional level can create efficiencies across multiple projects.
• The Agency's funding programs continue to be important tools for supporting Indigenous participation in major projects, specifically impact assessment processes. The Agency provides funding to support Indigenous consultation at key stages of the assessment process of designated projects, which includes the planning phase and the implementation of follow-up programs.
• The Agency's Indigenous Capacity Support Program also provides funding to support the development of capacity so that Indigenous Peoples are prepared to meaningfully participate and increasingly take on leadership roles in impact assessment.

Impact Assessment Act - Pending Legislative Amendments

Q1. What types of amendments are required and how is the Government addressing this?

• The guidance the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) provided centres around better defining federal jurisdiction and ensuring that our decision-making is clearly based on that.
• The proposed amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) address the SCC's concerns by focusing on the decision-making provisions and the definition of effects within federal jurisdiction while also being responsive to the SCC's position on the need to exercise cooperative federalism.
• Specifically, the Government of Canada is proposing amendments to:
  • Ensure that federal decision-making, namely the designation decision, the screening decision, and the final decision at the end of the assessment, are focused on areas of clear federal jurisdiction;
  • Narrow the definition of effects within federal jurisdiction to clearly correspond to areas of federal constitutional authority. This means that for activities that are primarily provincially regulated, the effects within federal jurisdiction that are the basis of decision-making and condition-setting under the IAA are aligned with federal constitutional heads of power. These areas of federal jurisdiction are: fish and fish habitat, aquatic species at risk, migratory birds, federal lands, impacts on Indigenous Peoples, and transboundary changes involving the pollution of transboundary waters and the marine environment;
  • Ensure that ongoing prohibitions or conditions are only imposed as required to prevent or mitigate significant adverse effects within federal jurisdiction;
  • Increase flexibility in the IAA to work collaboratively with provinces to ensure efficiency and avoid duplication of processes in conducting assessments under cooperation agreements; and
  • Include transitional provisions to recognize voluntary actions to advance assessments during the interim period to ensure time is not lost.
• The proposed amendments would not impact the legislative provisions respecting meaningful engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples in the assessment process, and respect for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Q2. What areas of the IAA are being retained?

• The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) confirmed that the environment, and impact assessments in particular, are areas of shared federal and provincial jurisdiction under the Constitution Act, 1867.
• The SCC underscored that the federal and provincial governments should exercise their respective powers over the environment harmoniously in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
• The Government of Canada has retained and enhanced various ways to collaborate with the provinces from joint assessments by panels to substituting assessments.
• The implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is and will remain integral to Impact Assessment Act (IAA).
• The IAA would continue to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement and participation of Indigenous Peoples in the assessment process, and respect for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Planning, transparency, consideration of environmental, social, health and economic effects, tailored assessments, and legislated timelines, along with regional and strategic assessments, will remain the same.

Q3. Are the interim measures still in effect and when will the amendments come info force?

• The Government of Canada delivered on its promise to work quickly on targeted and meaningful amendments required to restore certainty in federal impact assessment and address the Supreme Court of Canada's decision.
• Now that the proposed amendments have been tabled in Parliament through the Ways and Means motion and subsequently through the Budget Implementation Act, they will go through the parliamentary review process and come into force once the bill receives royal assent.
• The proposed amendments come into force when they receive royal assent.
• Until then, the interim measures set out by the Government of Canada last October will remain in place.

Q4. Are these amendments finalized?

• The proposed amendments must follow the parliamentary process and will only be final once they receive royal assent.

Q5. How is the Government going to ensure timely and efficient assessments?

• In response to the Supreme Court's decision, the amended Impact Assessment Act (IAA) as proposed will retain its legislated timelines and include efficiencies such as:
• Allowing the determination of whether an impact assessment is required to happen earlier in the planning process and only request a detailed project description if more information is needed to make that decision; and
• Only allowing the Governor in Council one opportunity to extend its timeline for decision-making.
• Outside of the amendments to the IAA, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will continue to actively work to make assessments more efficient while maintaining and supporting public and Indigenous participation by:
• Setting a target of five years or less to complete federal impact assessment (three years) and permitting processes (two years) for federally designated projects, as stated in Budget 2024;
• Setting a target of three years for nuclear project reviews by working with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to integrate and streamline the processes between the two agencies, as stated in Budget 2024;
• Tailoring and scoping assessments more effectively to focus on key federal issues and information requirements;
• Integrating permitting information requirements into impact assessments and coordinating post assessment permitting to improve predictability for project proponents and increase the federal government's transparency and accountability to Canadians;
• Providing more guidance to proponents to support their consultations and engagement with Indigenous groups;
• Conducting regional and strategic assessments;
• Updating the Project List as part of the IAA's five-year regulatory review commitment, which will follow the amendments to the IAA;
• Advancing the Government's commitment towards truth and reconciliation and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by, for example, developing Indigenous impact assessment co-administration agreement regulations; and
• Establishing agreements with provinces and Indigenous jurisdictions to better harmonize processes.
• The Government of Canada recently announced a series of activities to advance Canada's competitive advantage in attracting new clean growth projects and the good, well-paying jobs it would create. For more information, read the ‘Getting Major Projects Done' section of Chapter 4.2 of Budget 2024.

Q6. What sort of consultation was undertaken to develop these amendments?

• The targeted engagement for amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) that respond to the Supreme Court's decision began in November 2023 and is ongoing. The engaged groups include IAA advisory bodies, Indigenous Peoples, industry associations, environmental organizations, academics, and provincial governments.
• The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada met with 60 Indigenous groups and organizations to ensure the proposed amendments meet the obligation to consult under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. These include national and regional Indigenous representatives, Modern Treaty Partners, and other Indigenous partners such as those from the Indigenous Capacity Support Program.
• The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada met with over 30 industry and environmental stakeholders who have supported the approach to focus the amendments on responding to the Supreme Court's decision.
• Engagement with provinces began in January 2024, with a meeting of federal-provincial-territorial Deputy Ministers. Departmental officials and deputy ministers have met with their provincial counterparts to undertake cooperation agreements under the amended IAA.
• The proposed IAA amendments reflect what we heard from them: improving certainty in the process and preserving Indigenous protections while aligning with the Supreme Court's decision.

Q7. What is the Government's reaction should the amended IAA be challenged in Court again?

• The Government of Canada is confident the proposed amendments to the Impact Assessment Act address the concerns identified by the Supreme Court of Canada and establish the robust, collaborative, and timely assessment processes that Canadians expect.

Q8. Why is the Government of Canada continuing to assess projects that are primarily provincially regulated?

• The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) confirmed that the environment, and impact assessments in particular, are areas of shared federal and provincial jurisdiction under the Constitution Act, 1867.
• The SCC underscored that the federal and provincial governments should exercise their respective powers over the environment harmoniously in the spirit of cooperative federalism.
• For activities that are primarily provincially regulated, a federal assessment would only apply to these projects if they may cause non-negligible adverse effects within federal jurisdiction where there are clear federal constitutional heads of power.
• The Government of Canada would only require assessments of projects where they may cause non-negligible adverse effects in federal jurisdiction, namely: fish and fish habitat, aquatic species at risk, migratory birds, federal lands, impacts on Indigenous Peoples, and transboundary changes involving the pollution of transboundary waters and the marine environment.

Q9. What projects are subject to an impact assessment?

• Projects identified in the Physical Activities Regulations (known as the Project List) can only be subject to an impact assessment if they may cause certain effects. Examples include major projects such as nuclear facilities, certain mines, oil facilities, bridges, roads, and dams.
• Proposed amendments will align to the Supreme Court of Canada's (SCC) guidance to focus on effects in federal jurisdiction.
• If a project not identified in the Project List has the potential to cause non-negligible adverse effects in areas of federal jurisdiction, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Minister) can designate it for an impact assessment.
• Designating projects occurs in exceptional circumstances only.
• Following the SCC's guidance, the proposed amendments would limit use of this decision-making authority to projects with a potential for non-negligible adverse effects within federal jurisdiction.
• The amendments would allow the Minister to consider whether another process, such as that of a province or Indigenous jurisdiction, could address effects in federal jurisdiction.
• Once the IAA is amended, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada will review the Project List with opportunities for provincial, Indigenous Peoples, stakeholder and public engagement planned for summer 2024.

Q10. Will the Government of Canada re-designate any project for which a designation order was set aside following the SCC decision?

• The proposed amendments continue to go through the Parliamentary process. Once the amendments come into force, the Government of Canada will be in a better position to determine how it will assess new designation requests.
• Each project will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Q11. How will the proposed amendments affect the participation of Indigenous Peoples?

• The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) is and will remain integral to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA).
• The IAA explicitly confirms that the Government of Canada is committed to implement the UN Declaration and to ensure that the rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected throughout federal assessments.
• In its decision, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) did not call into question any of the provisions of the IAA that relate to consultations with Indigenous Peoples and recognition of Indigenous Knowledge.
• The Government remains committed to implementing the IAA in a manner that is consistent with the UN Declaration.
• The amended IAA would continue to ensure rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples are respected throughout federal impact assessments, including rights under section 35 of the Constitution, and treaty rights.
• The Government looks forward to continuing working with Indigenous Nations and communities to tailor policies and guidance to align with the amendments. Input during this engagement process and in the future will help guide the implementation of the amended IAA.

Q12. Will there be changes to how the federal government works with provinces?

• The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) confirmed shared jurisdiction in project assessment – that the same project may have both provincial and federal aspects and that there is a role for both orders of Government to work cooperatively.
• Federal-provincial-territorial collaboration is critical to the success of Canada's regulatory approach to major projects, and proposed amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) reflect our common interest to attract and generate investments to grow a clean economy.
• The IAA already allows for substitution of the federal process with another jurisdiction if certain requirements are satisfied, with each jurisdiction remaining responsible for making its own final decision.
• Proposed amendments to substitution provisions would provide new flexibility to harmonize the federal process with those of other jurisdictions, therefore reducing duplication and increasing efficiency and certainty with the goal of achieving “one project, one assessment.”
• Where both federal and provincial assessments are required, proposed amendments to the IAA would facilitate improved harmonization of processes, emphasizing provincial expertise to assess some or all a project's effects.
• Proposed amendments to the IAA would provide a renewed basis for engaging provinces in the spirit of cooperative federalism, as encouraged by the SCC. 

Q13. How does the Government of Canada intend to meet its climate change commitments now that the amended IAA does not base decisions or condition-setting on transboundary effects such as greenhouse gas emissions?

• The amendments to narrow consideration of transboundary effects in decision-making relate to projects that are provincially regulated, whereas the consideration of effects from projects that are regulated federally remains largely unchanged.
• For all projects, impact assessments will continue to consider the extent to which the project hinders or contributes to Canada's climate change objectives, to better understand the project and its potential impacts.
• For federally regulated projects (e.g., offshore energy, federal ports, interprovincial pipelines), decisions and condition-setting under the Impact Assessment Act can continue to be based on a range of adverse environmental and socio-economic effects, including GHGs and other transboundary effects.
• However, for provincially regulated projects, in decision-making at all stages of the process, including designation, screening, and final decision-making and conditions, the focus must be more narrowly on adverse effects in areas of federal jurisdiction. Transboundary effects will be limited to the areas of previously established federal jurisdiction identified in the amended definition, including pollution of transboundary waters and the marine environment.
• Decisions for provincially regulated projects will also continue to consider positive contributions to Canada's climate change objectives, impacts on Indigenous Peoples and the extent to which the project positively contributes to sustainability, in determining whether other adverse effects within areas of federal jurisdiction are justified in the public interest.
• In addition, the Government has introduced a suite of other policies to meet our climate change objectives including carbon pricing, emission regulations, and various clean growth tax incentives.

Q14. The previous Environmental Assessment Decision for Bay du Nord included a condition that the project must achieve Net Zero. If the proposed amendments to the Impact Assessment Act were adopted, could GHGs still be assessed, and would it still be possible to include a Net Zero condition for designated offshore projects?

• The Supreme Court of Canada was clear in its direction that project designation, as well as other decisions under the Act, including screening and final decision-making, must be based on the potential for adverse federal effects, and that these effects must be more narrowly defined to ensure they are linked clearly to federal matters under the constitution.
• For projects that are federally regulated (e.g., offshore energy, interprovincial pipelines), the Court confirmed that decisions can be based on a broader range of effects, including GHGs, and so the definition remains largely unchanged in relation to those projects. The ability to include a Net Zero condition for offshore projects, such as Bay du Nord, remains.
• The amendments to be proposed will narrow the definition of federal effects as it applies to provincially regulated projects (such as mines situated in a province) to those areas that the Court found had been clearly established as matters of federal jurisdiction, namely, impacts on fish and fish habitat, migratory birds, Indigenous Peoples, and pollution of transboundary waters and the marine environment.
• For all projects, impact assessments will continue to consider the extent to which the project hinders or contributes to Canada's climate change objectives to better understand the project and its potential impacts. Decisions for provincially regulated projects will also continue to consider positive contributions to Canada's climate change objectives, impacts on Indigenous peoples and the extent to which the project contributes to sustainability, in determining whether other adverse effects within areas of federal jurisdiction are justified in the public interest.
• The Government has introduced a suite of other policies to meet our climate change objectives including carbon pricing, emission regulations, and various clean growth tax incentives.

Q15. Can impact assessments for nuclear projects be substituted to Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission?

• Designated nuclear projects included on the Project List must go through an integrated impact assessment by an integrated review panel, led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) with participation by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). Integrated assessments are designed to integrate two processes - the impact assessment and licensing - into one seamless process.
• The impact assessment process for these projects cannot be substituted. The proposed amendments only clarify that the Minister may, when referring these projects to an integrated review panel, enter into an agreement with a province, as well as with the CNSC, in relation to the integrated assessment. This would allow greater efficiencies and less duplication between provincial and federal assessment processes.
• The CNSC and IAAC are working to streamline processes to ensure integrated assessments can be conducted in a timely manner. This is why in Budget 2024, the Government of Canada set a three-year target for nuclear project reviews.

Regional Assessment of Offshore Wind Development in Newfoundland / Labrador & Nova Scotia

Q1. When are the OSW regional assessment committees expected to report on their findings, and what do you expect them to say?

• Each Regional Assessment Committee will submit an interim report to the Ministers (ECCC, NRCan and provincial ministers) on March 23, 2024. The main objective of these interim reports is to identify and provide preliminary information and analysis on areas that may be suitable for development. We expect that the interim reports will also identify knowledge and data gaps and the results of engagement activities to date.
• Each Regional Assessment Committee will submit their final report to Ministers (ECCC, NRCan and provincial ministers) in late January 2025 after a 60-day consultation period on their draft reports beginning in September 2024. Final reports will include an update on proposed offshore wind licencing areas, knowledge and data gaps, assessment of important components such as environmental and cumulative effects, and proposed recommendations for mitigation and follow-up.

Q2. Will recent requests from the NL and NS OSW regional assessment committees to modify the terms of their agreements negatively impact the Government's plans to move forward with offshore wind development in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador?

• The Committees' recommendations, information and analysis will support the sustainable development of this promising sector and Canada's energy transition and climate change objectives. As such, the timely completion of the Regional Assessments remains a high priority for the Government of Canada.
• The timeline extension will not delay the establishment of the regulatory regime for offshore wind development, which is proceeding independently from both regional assessments. The Agency is working closely with officials from Natural Resources Canada and the provinces.

Q3. When will the NL Offshore Wind Development Regional Assessment Committee receive a response from ministers regarding its proposed modifications to its agreement?

• In January 2024, officials from the Agency, NRCan and the NL Government met with the Committee to discuss the content of the Committee's request. I have worked closely with the other co-signatories to the Agreement to respond to the Committee's proposed approach.
• This response recognizes the importance of effective engagement to the regional assessment process and the complexity of the Committee's mandate and will be received by the Committee shortly.

Bill S-14: Protecting Canada's Natural Wonders Act

Q1. What is the purpose of this legislation?

• This legislation will amend the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and the Rouge National Urban Park Act to:
  • finalize the establishment of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve while permitting and regulating traditional land use activities in this national park reserve
  • finalize the establishment of Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, once its interim management plan is complete
  • formally update the boundaries of seven existing national parks and one national park reserve, and,
  • bring the Acts in line with the modern legislative environment, and strengthen the tools used to operate and manage national parks and national marine conservation areas

Q2. If Parks Canada already administers the land, why is this legislation necessary?

• As soon as Parks Canada acquires lands, they are administered to the extent possible as though they are part of the national park or marine conservation area. However, until these lands are included under the schedules of Parks Canada statutes, they are not legally considered part of that protected area and do not benefit from the protections offered by those Acts and their associated regulations. Until such time, Parks Canada is limited to relying upon a patchwork of provincial and federal legislation to manage and protect the lands.
• With an increase in the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, ensuring that these lands can benefit from the highest level of protection is more important than ever.
• Legislatively completing the creation of Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve and Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, and formally updating the boundaries of seven national parks and one national park reserve will ensure that these lands receive the full protections of the Canada National Parks Act, the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and associated regulations. This is the final critical step to ensuring that these lands are protected for current and future generations.

Q3. What is the status of Bill S-14?

• Protecting Canada's Natural Wonders Act was introduced in the Senate on October 19, 2023. The Senate passed Bill S-14 on December 14, 2023 after making several amendments to the bill that was originally introduced. It was introduced in the House of Commons at first reading on February 27, 2024 with those amendments.

Q4. Does Bill S-14 recognize the NunatuKavut Community Council as a group with section 35 rights?

• The 2015 Shared Understanding Agreement between Parks Canada and the NunatuKavut Community Council includes a commitment that NunatuKavut Community Council members will be viewed as traditional land users, in line with other traditional land users.
• The concepts of “traditional land user” or “traditional activities” in Bill S-14 do not imply that these activities flow from s. 35 rights. Traditional land users are identified based on birth, residency, and familial connections to the area around the park, and are NOT based on Indigeneity.

Q5. Will NunatuKavut members be able to carry on their traditional activities with the amendments adopted in the Senate?

• The effects of the removal of the clause referencing members of NunatuKavut Community Council from the definition of Traditional Land Users as it relates to Akami-Uapishkᵁ-Kakkasuak-Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve is still under review.
• Parks Canada is committed to taking all steps possible to respect its agreements with all groups, including the NunatuKavut Community Council.

Investing in Parks Canada's Highways and Roads

Q1. What highway, roadway, and related infrastructure assets does Parks Canada manage?

• Parks Canada operates and maintains 3,300 kilometers of roadways, highways and associated bridges, including segments of the Trans-Canada system that cross national parks.
• These roadways enable access to national heritage places, link communities to essential services, and act as critical regional and national transportation corridors that enable the flow of people and commercial goods.
• The highway and roadway portfolio consists of nearly 1,400 assets with a replacement value of approximately $8.8 billion (in 2022 dollars).

Q2. What investments has Parks Canada made to ensure the availability and safety of highways and roads in the places it administers?

• Since 2015, Parks Canada has invested nearly $1.6 billion to maintain and enhance its existing roadway infrastructure to help ensure it remains safe, reliable, and resilient.
• This investment was made possible through temporary funding provided in 2015 under the Federal Infrastructure Initiative and supplemented by additional time-limited funding from successive federal budgets.
• Most recently, Budget 2024 announced an additional investment of up to $545.1 million over three years for capital investments in national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas administered by Parks Canada, which would include investment in highways.
• This temporary funding has allowed Parks Canada to invest nearly $1.6 billion in the management of this important portfolio segment since 2015.
• Key investments include:
  • $67.5 million to twin 6 kilometers of the Trans-Canada Highway (completed in 2018) as well as subsequent planning work for future twinning in Yoho National Park in Alberta (completed in 2021);
  • $30 million to complete critical roadway restoration in Newfoundland on Hwy 436 into L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site and Hwy 431 in Gros Morne National Park, as well as replacement of the Western Brook Bridge along Hwy 430 (to be completed by 2025-26);
  • $8.3 million to rehabilitate 11 kilometres section of Highway 114 in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick (completed in 2023-24);
  • $5.9 million to rehab the Gauron and Lafleur bridges at Lachine Canal's National Historic Site in Quebec (completed in 2022-23).

Q3. What has been the impact of Parks Canada's investments in highways and roadways?

• Investments in Parks Canada's roadways help to make them safe for public use and ensure they remain reliable and resilient for transportation and trade. Further, investments support ecosystem connectivity and facilitate Canadians' experience and enjoyment of their national heritage places.
• Parks Canada's infrastructure investments have made a real difference: 87% of roadways and 67% of associated bridges are in good or fair condition, which represents an increase of 45% and 20% respectively since 2016.
• Examples of other key benefits of these investments include:
  • Investment in wildlife protection measures (fencing and crossing structures on segments of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH)) have demonstrated an 80% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions;
  • Highway avalanche defense and control investments in Glacier National Park have been estimated to reduce highway closure times for avalanche control by 15%;
  • Capacity improvements on national highways included 6 kilometers of twinning, and over 40 kilometers of additional passing lanes throughout the national highway system; and
  • Increased load capacity on bridges in Jasper along Yellowhead Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 16 to better accommodate transport traffic.

Q4: Does Parks Canada plan to continue to invest in maintaining and improving its highway and roadway infrastructure?

• As available funding permits, Parks Canada will continue to make prioritized investments into its network of roads and highways as well as assess ongoing needs and develop future strategies to help ensure long-term asset sustainability.
• This will include investments in the maintenance of existing roadways and bridges to meet applicable standards, help ensure roads are open, accessible, and resilient to protect the safety of users, and improve ecosystem connectivity.

Investments In Parks Canada's Real Property Assets

Q1. What kinds of real property infrastructure assets does Parks Canada manage?

• Parks Canada has a vast and diverse real property asset portfolio located in national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas across the country, including:
  • built heritage assets in protected places that are unique, irreplaceable, and represent Canada's rich heritage,
  • assets that support tourism and recreation, such as campgrounds, trails, and visitor accommodations,
  • 3,300 kilometers of roadways, highways, and associated bridges, including segments of the Trans-Canada system that cross national parks.
  • over 600 km of heritage canals and waterways in Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia that provide navigation corridors, critical water management, clean hydro-electricity generation, and flood mitigation for millions of citizens.
• All told, Parks Canada's portfolio consists of nearly 18,000 assets with a replacement value of approximately $27.7 billion (in 2022 dollars). 

Q2. How is the Government of Canada investing in Parks Canada's real property assets?

• Since 2015, Parks Canada has invested nearly $4.2 billion to manage and maintain its real property asset portfolio (as of March 2023).
  • Temporary funding initially provided in 2015 under the Federal Infrastructure Initiative has been supplemented by time-limited funding announced through more recent federal budgets.
  • This funding has allowed Parks Canada to accelerate investment in the management of its assets (from a previous total investment of approximately $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2014).
  • Most recently, Budget 2024 announced an additional investment of up to $545.1 million over three years for capital investments in Canada's national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas.
• Recent investments help to protect cultural and natural heritage, deliver high quality visitor services and experiences, address health and safety concerns, ensure roads remain accessible, and manage flood control. 

Examples:

• canal wall rehabilitation essential to public safety and to the sustainability of the Lachine Canal in Quebec.
• rehabilitation of Highway 114 in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick;
• redevelopment of Whistler's Campground in Jasper; Alberta's largest with close to 800 campsites;
• tower stabilization and rehabilitation of Carleton Martello Tower in New Brunswick; and
• multi-year projects to rehabilitate key dams along the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario.

Q3. What has been the impact of Parks Canada's investments in its real property asset portfolio?

• Investing in assets helps ensure that natural and heritage places administered by Parks Canada are safeguarded for current and future generation of Canadians.
• Investments in key assets segments, such as waterways and highways, help ensure safety, transportation resilience and water management.
• Between 2016 and June 2022, the percentage of Agency assets in good or fair condition has improved from 50% to 72%.
• Examples of other key benefits of these investments include:
  • investment in wildlife protection measures (e.g., fencing and crossing structures on segments of the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH)) have demonstrated an 80% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions;
  • post-storm recovery and rebuilding after the devasting impacts of 2022's Hurricane Fiona;
  • improvements to accessibility and inclusiveness of Parks Canada places, including introduction of best practices for gender-neutral and disability-inclusive washrooms;
  • reduced greenhouse gas emissions from facilities by 28% relative to 2005-06 (as of March 31, 2023);
  • Trans-Canada Highway avalanche defense and control investments have been estimated to reduce highway closure times for avalanche control by 15%.

Q4. Does Parks Canada plan to continue to invest in maintaining and improving its highway and roadway infrastructure?

• As available funding permits, Parks Canada will continue to make prioritized investment into its network of roads and highways as well as assess ongoing needs and strategies as part of its approach for long-term asset sustainability.
• This will include investments in the maintenance of existing roadways and bridges to meet applicable standards, help ensure roads are open, accessible, and resilient to protect the safety of users, and improve ecosystem connectivity.

Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project (SIERP)

Q1. Why is Parks Canada eradicating fallow deer on Sidney Island?

• Parks Canada is committed to working together with First Nations communities and neighbours to ensure the long-term health of the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem within Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
• On Sidney Island, the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is in jeopardy. In the early 20th century, settlers brought fallow deer—a species not native to North America—from England to the Southern Gulf Islands for farming and sport hunting. Since then, fallow deer have eaten most of the plants, shrubs, and young trees that belong in the forest's understory layer resulting in a lack of plant and bird diversity necessary for the forest's long-term survival.
• Working together with First Nations, the project partners concluded that eradication of fallow deer, paired with removing invasive plant species and repopulating native food and medicine plants, is the most effective long-term solution to restore the ecosystem, and one step towards healing ecological impacts resulting from colonization.

Q2. How was the decision to eradicate fallow deer made?

• Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and has a proven track record of effective ecosystem management. Animal population reduction or eradication is reserved for situations where no other method can be applied.
• Recreational hunters have been hunting fallow deer on the private lands on Sidney Island since 1981, including paid and professional culls. Despite removing almost 15,000 deer, the population has always rebounded. These culls have not been successful at keeping the deer population at a level consistent with a healthy ecosystem. As a result, project partners elected to stop the repeated culling of these animals and instead pursue eradication (complete removal) of the invasive deer population.
• Project partners in this multi-jurisdiction landscape include the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, Tsawout First Nation, Pauquachin First Nation, the Province of BC, Islands Trust Conservancy, and Sidney Island residents.
• The project has been collaboratively built from the ground up, with project partners co-developing the project's vision and goals, thorough expert analysis by specialists and animal welfare organizations to implement the project safely, and then co-designing restoration actions.
• Project partners formed a Steering Committee in 2019, and developed a three-part strategy for long-term ecosystem recovery, focusing on vegetation restoration, the eradication of European fallow deer, and the long-term management of black-tailed deer. Each project partner underwent an internal process to determine whether their community or organization supported the proposed strategy for ecosystem recovery. In spring 2023, all project partners formally approved implementation of the strategy.

Q3. What is the estimated total cost of deer eradication on Sidney Island?

• The estimated budget for the eradication portion of the project is $5.9 million. The expenses incurred for implementation of Phase 1 of the operation was $796,340, including expenses such as meat processing, Indigenous harvesters, equipment purchases and rentals, outreach activities, and amounts paid to contractors.
• The project cost is based on the selection of a humane, safe, and effective method for complete removal of the deer population. The scope of the overall restoration project reaches far beyond the short-term component of addressing the issue of fallow deer and includes the removal of invasive plant species and the propagation and planting of native plants and tree. The project goal is the restoration of the Coastal Douglas-Fir Forest ecosystem.

Q4. If asked: What is the population of fallow deer on Sidney Island?

• The current population of fallow deer on Sidney Island is unknown, but prior to Phase 1 of the operation the population was estimated at between 300 and 900 individuals. Following Phase 1 implementation it is estimated that the population is towards the lower end of that range.

Q5. How many deer were removed in Phase 1?

• A total of 84 deer were removed in early December 2023 through a combination of nighttime ground-based hunting and daytime aerial work. The aerial work included one marksman operating out of a single helicopter deployed for a total of 15 hours over 5 days.
• Throughout Phase 1, Parks Canada staff worked closely with First Nations harvesters to recover meat, hides, and other usable materials, for distribution within local W̱SÁNEĆ communities. Harvesters recovered 79 of 84 deer dispatched, for an estimated total of over 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of meat.

Q6. What is the purpose and approach of Phase 2?

• The Phase 2 objective is to complete the eradication of the remaining deer on the island.
• Phase 2 of the operation is planned to take place between fall 2024 and spring 2025. During this phase, temporary fencing will be placed across Sidney Island, creating large, enclosed zones ranging in size from approximately 40 to 120 hectares.
• Each zone will be cleared by professional ground-based marksmen working with highly specialized scent-tracking dogs. These dogs do not physically engage the deer and are controlled by their handlers.

Q7. Why were recreational hunters not given the opportunity to hunt the deer?

• This operation is not a cull, it is an eradication. An eradication requires different skill sets than a cull. Additionally, the project area includes private residential lots, many with residential infrastructure and some with full-time residents.
• Marksmen with a) extensive experience in deer eradications and b) a well-established safety record of marksmanship in semi-urban environments are necessary for the operation to be completed safely and effectively. Animal welfare and visitor safety are priorities for Parks Canada. The proposed eradication methods were selected to ensure the humane treatment of wildlife and to minimize the risk and inconvenience to local community members and visitors. Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of Parks Canada, posted a solicitation process requiring bidders to have experience conducting eradication operations in populated landscapes.
• Recreational hunters have been hunting fallow deer on the private lands on Sidney Island since 1981, including paid and professional culls. Despite removing almost 15,000 deer, the population has always rebounded. These culls have not been successful at keeping the deer population at a level consistent with a healthy ecosystem. As a result, project partners elected to stop the repeated culling of these animals and instead pursue eradication (complete removal) of the invasive deer population.

Q8. How was the contractor selected for the operation?

• The contract to complete this work was posted publicly by Public Services and Procurement Canada. Canadian companies had the opportunity to bid on this work. Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of Parks Canada, awarded this contract to the successful bidder, Coastal Conservation Inc., a Canadian company, on March 29, 2022.

Q9. What type of firearms were used for this operation?

• A CZ Bren 2 .223 calibre firearm was used for Phase 1.
• The firearm used is restricted (not prohibited) in Canada and is legal for use for this purpose under the Firearms Business License issued by the RCMP to the Contractor.
• All necessary statutory and regulatory authorities were granted for this operation, including permits granted by Parks Canada, Transport Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the RCMP.

Q10. How has animal welfare been considered?

• The humane treatment of animals is a priority for Parks Canada and project partners. Partners recognize that eradication of a wildlife population is reserved for situations where no other method is feasible, and only after careful consideration, as has been the case for this project.
• Methods selected for this project are globally proven and align with internationally recognized principles for ethical wildlife control. Parks Canada is adhering to animal handling standards set out by the Canadian Council on Animal Care.
• In addition, project partners consulted with the BC SPCA throughout project planning, discussed details of the operation with SPCA's Manager of Wild Animal Welfare, and BC-SPCA representatives were on site for four days to observe and offer further recommendations during Phase 1 of the operation.

National Marine Conservation Areas Establishment And Expansion

Q1. What is the current status of protection of Canada's marine areas?

• Currently, 14.7% of Canada's marine waters are protected. Parks Canada-managed national marine conservation areas and national parks with marine components contribute 2.12 %, making the Agency the second-largest contributor of any province, territory or federal organization.
• Parks Canada's largest contribution to the marine conservation targets is the 108,000 square kilometre Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area, which contributes approximately 1.9% to the target.

Q2. How will Canada contribute to the achievement of the Government of Canada's marine conservation target commitment to protect 30 percent of Canada's marine areas by 2030?

• Under Budget 2021, the Government of Canada made an historic investment in protecting the health of Canada's oceans, including $976.8 Billion over 5 years to reach ambitious marine conservation targets. Of this, Parks Canada was allocated $52.1 Million to undertake feasibility assessments and negotiations leading to the establishment of 10 new national marine conservation areas that would contribute 230,000 km2 to Canada's marine conservation target.
  Additionally, Budget 2024 identifies funding to establish the proposed Central Coast National Marine Conservation Area Reserve in British Columbia, with $167.5 million over 11 years, starting in 2025-26, and an ongoing $10.7 million per year for its creation and operation.
• Parks Canada has 7 sites that are either in active feasibility assessments or negotiations for new national marine conservation areas across the country, and is working to bring 3 additional sites into the feasibility assessment phase. If successfully established, these sites are expected to contribute as much as 4.19% to the marine conservation target, based on the current proposed study area boundaries.
• In February 2024, Parks Canada and the Mushkegowuk Council announced the completion of the feasibility assessment and a shared commitment to advance to the negotiations to establish a national marine conservation area in western James Bay and southwestern Hudson Bay.
• In 2023, Parks Canada and the Government of Quebec announced their shared intention to evaluate the possibility of establishing a new Anticosti-Mingan Marine Park as well as to expand the boundaries of Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park. This potential expansion will enhance the protection of the St. Lawrence Estuary ecosystems, including the critical habitat for the beluga whale.
• Two other recently announced marine conservation projects include the completion of the feasibility assessment for the Torngat Area-of-Interest, off the coast of northern Labrador, and the launch of the feasibility assessment for the South Coast Fjords, offshore of southwestern Newfoundland.

Q3. How does Canada support the participation of Indigenous peoples in marine conservation?

• For all projects to establish new national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada works in partnership and collaboration with Indigenous peoples, as seen in the feasibility assessments for the Central Coast; Western James Bay and Southwestern Hudson Bay; and the Torngat Area-of-Interest.
• Parks Canada provides funding to support Indigenous leadership in national marine conservation establishment projects through contribution agreements.

Q4. How are national marine conservation areas protected?

• Administered by Parks Canada under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, national marine conservation areas (NMCA) are protected areas managed for ecological sustainability, which means harmonizing conservation practices with human activities such as fishing, shipping and recreation. NMCAs include the seabed, the water above it, and may also take in wetlands, estuaries, islands and coastal lands.
• In line with the 2019 federal protection standards for marine protected areas, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, dumping and bottom trawling are prohibited throughout these special areas. The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Minister of Transport retain their responsibilities for the management of fisheries and marine navigation and safety within national marine conservation areas.
• Canada's new Federal Marine Protected Area Standard and Parks Canada's new NMCA Policy Framework and Management Directive provide clear direction on the establishment and management of current and future national marine conservation areas. The new policy emphasizes the importance of collaboration and co-management with Indigenous peoples and will strengthen Canada's contribution to the qualitative elements of international marine conservation targets by setting out NMCAs can be effectively and equitably managed.

Questions and Answers

Q1. What positive steps is Parks Canada taking to contribute to the transition to net-zero carbon operations for the Government of Canada?

A1:

• Parks Canada is dedicated to supporting the greening of its operations through a mix of short- and longer-term actions.
• These include improved construction practices, enhanced use of clean electricity, fleet optimization, and innovative approaches to clean technology.
• Through efforts like these, Parks Canada has reduced its facilities greenhouse gas emissions by 28% relative to 2005-06 levels, and in 2023-24 we invested $5 million in light-duty, zero-emission vehicles.
• Key examples of efforts to continue to advance the greening of Parks Canada's operations include:
  • development of a Net-zero Carbon Portfolio Plan for the current building and fleet portfolios, as well as a new costing model for new park and new site establishment, which will address needs for sustainability and greening operations.
  • construction of Parks Canada's Collections and Curatorial Centre as a single, net-zero carbon building to be located in Gatineau to conserve historical and archaeological objects currently stored across 6 facilities and minimize related environmental footprint through green building practices.
  • establishment of the Lake Superior Discovery Centre, which will be a high-performance net-zero carbon building in Nipigon, Ontario designed using passive house design principles.
  • continuing investment in the acquisition of zero-emission vehicles to support the modernization and greening of Parks Canada's light-duty fleet.

Q2: Is Parks Canada ready for this fire season? If so, what preparations are underway?

A2: Parks Canada is ready to respond to wildfires on Parks Canada-administered lands:

• The 2024 fire season is underway. Parks Canada is actively involved in suppression of the wildfires in Wood Buffalo National Park and has deployed firefighters to support Northern Manitoba. Parks Canada continues to actively monitor daily fire danger conditions and adjusts fire danger and preparedness levels accordingly.
• Parks Canada has significant capacity to respond to wildfires, with approximately 300 highly trained staff performing a variety of roles from front line fire fighting to managing all elements of complex emergency incidents like logistics, planning and communications.
• Parks Canada is an active member of FireSmart™ Canada and is a member of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, working collaboratively with federal, provincial, and territorial wildland fire management agencies and partners as well as municipal governments and the private sector.
• To reduce the risks of wildfire, Parks Canada has conducted 10 prescribed fires so far this season in national parks such as Point Pelee, Elk Island, Prince Albert, and Riding Mountain, with more planned this season. Parks Canada takes wildfire preparedness seriously and works with communities, including town sites located within or near national parks, on projects to reduce wildfire risk.

Q3. How is Parks Canada progressing on its mandate to establish 10 new national parks and 10 new national marine conservation areas, and up to 6 new national urban parks?

A3:

• Parks Canada has the most active and ambitious program for the establishment of new protected areas in its over 100-year history.
• Parks Canada is making great progress on projects to meet the commitment to establish 10 new national parks, 10 new NMCAs and up to 6 national urban parks by working closely with partners and stakeholders.
• Parks Canada has been working with Indigenous partners to explore protected area opportunities that are culturally significant to them. These new areas will support Indigenous stewardship and cultural continuity within traditional territories of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, while contributing to Canada's Strategy.
• Some accomplishments:
  • The recent completion of feasibility studies for western James Bay and southwestern Hudson Bay, with the Mushkegowuk Council, and for the Torngat Area of Interest with the Nunatsiavut Government.
  • The launch of feasibility assessments in April 2024 for the Peel River watershed with the Gwich'in Tribal Council and First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, in January 2024 for the Seal River Watershed with the Seal River Watershed Alliance, and in June 2023 for an NMCA in the South Coast Fjords.
  • Two national parks in final negotiations in Prince Edward Island with the Epekwitk Assembly of Councils, and in British Columbia in the South Okanagan with the syilx/Okanagan Nation. An Establishment Agreement for Pituamkek National Park Reserve on Prince Edward Island is expected in summer 2024.
  • Work is progressing on national urban parks in Windsor, Halifax, Edmonton, Victoria region, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.