Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 2025-26 Departmental plan at a glance
A departmental plan describes a department’s priorities, plans, and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.
Key priorities
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s top priorities for 2025-26 are as follows:
- Pursue measures to accelerate the shift to a cleaner and more resilient economy to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and enable Canadians to participate in and reap economic benefits from a low carbon economy.
- Prepare accurate and timely weather, hydrological and environmental forecastsand climate data, warnings and alerts for Canadians, businesses and international partners.
- Implementing the international Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Reduce pollution, tackle plastic waste, protect ecosystems, and address harmful substances, while fostering cleaner industries and infrastructure that safeguard environmental and human health, and support economic growth.
Highlights
In 2025-26, total planned spending (including internal services) for Environment and Climate Change Canada is $3,127,271,128 and total planned full-time equivalent staff (including internal services) is 8,392. For complete information on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s total planned spending and human resources, read the Planned spending and human resources section of the full plan.
The following provides a summary of the department’s planned achievements for 2025-26 according to its approved Departmental Results Framework. A Departmental Results Framework consists of a department’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress towards these results.
Core responsibility 1: Taking action on clean growth and climate change
Planned spending: $1,233,853,825
Planned human resources: 1,065
Departmental results:
- Canadian greenhouse gas and short-lived climate pollutant emissions are reduced;
- Indigenous Peoples are engaged in clean growth and climate change;
- Canada contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing climate resilience globally; and
- Canadian communities, economies, and ecosystems are more resilient.
In 2025-26, ECCC will continue to help ensure that the requirements of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act are met, and will work with other government departments to implement the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (2030 ERP). ECCC will publish the second Progress Report on the 2030 ERP in 2025. Work that delivers on these requirements is informed by science, including in supporting quantitative measuring and monitoring of greenhouse gases, as well as understanding of the implications and impacts of climate change.
In 2025-26, ECCC will continue to advance measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity, and industrial sectors. ECCC will work to ensure industrial carbon pricing is as effective as possible across the country, notably through the federal Output-Based Pricing System for industrial emitters, Canada’s GHG Offset Credit System and by working with provincial and territorial governments to ensure carbon markets continue to function well. ECCC will also continue to facilitate clean growth through the Low Carbon Economy Fund and the proceeds from the Output-Based Pricing System Proceeds Fund.
On March 15, 2025, the Government of Canada made regulations that cease the application of the federal fuel charge by setting all fuel charge rates to zero. In 2025-26, ECCC will continue to return proceeds for the 2020-21 to 2024-25 period to Indigenous Governments in a way that provides maximum flexibility for eligible recipients to manage and use funding towards self-determined priorities in recognition of the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities.
The Department will further advance work under the National Adaptation Strategy to enhance Canada’s resilience to climate impacts. It will do so by delivering the suite of federal actions outlined in the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan, working with provinces and territories to develop bilateral action plans, and continuing to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis on a distinctions basis to advance the Indigenous Climate Leadership Agenda .
The Department will continue to pursue bilateral and regional environmental cooperation instruments. In close collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, the Department will maintain its work with international partners to implement the Paris Agreement, ratified by Canada in October 2016, and help drive global climate action through a number of multilateral fora and bilateral engagement opportunities, including through its 2025 G7 Presidency. In collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, ECCC will support developing countries in their transition to sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient, nature-positive, and inclusive economies, including through the implementation of Canada’s $5.3 billion climate finance commitment.
More information about taking action on clean growth and climate change can be found in the full plan.
Core responsibility 2: Preventing and managing pollution
Planned spending: $404,092,943
Planned human resources: 2,238
Departmental results:
- Canadians have clean air
- Canadians have clean water
- The Canadian environment is protected from harmful substances
To protect people living in Canada and the environment from harmful substances, ECCC will continue to deliver Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan in collaboration with Health Canada in 2025-26. ECCC will continue to rely on robust science to identify and understand the evolving risks and environmental impacts in order to inform risk management measures.
ECCC and Health Canada will implement new initiatives under the modernized CEPA, as amended by the Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act. This will include development of a framework to guide how the right to a healthy environment will be considered in administering the Act. The departments will also develop the new Plan of Priorities, which will prioritize substances for assessment and risk management.
In 2025-26, ECCC will also continue to lead federal efforts to support and undertake science, promote innovation, and employ tools to ensure that plastics remain in the economy and out of the environment. The Federal Plastics Registry will begin receiving data on the quantities of plastics in packaging, electronics, and single-use and disposable items placed on the market in Canada. The Department will make this data available to the public in an aggregated form.
In collaboration with other federal departments, ECCC will continue to work with provinces and territories through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) to implement the 2018 Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste and Action Plan. It will continue to play a leadership role globally to accelerate efforts to better manage plastics and reduce plastic waste and pollution. ECCC will continue to work collaboratively with other federal departments and all levels of government, Indigenous Peoples, industry, civil society, and the public to reduce plastic waste and pollution and move towards a circular plastics economy.
In its continued efforts to reduce air pollution from industrial sources, vehicles, engines, fuels and consumer and commercial products, the Department will continue to develop, administer, and amend regulations. The ongoing collaboration between ECCC and Health Canada to implement the Air Quality Health Index allows Canadian to make informed decisions about their health by limiting short-term exposure to air pollution. ECCC will also continue to work with provinces and territories to implement the Air Quality Management System (AQMS)—a comprehensive approach to reducing outdoor air pollution developed and advanced through the CCME, including by updating and implementing the new Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards. ECCC will also work with its international partners to further reduce transboundary air pollution through such mechanisms as the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement and the Gothenburg Protocol.
In 2025-26, ECCC will continue to protect fish and fish habitat and Canada’s waters through the administration and enforcement of the Pollution Prevention Provisions of the Fisheries Act and associated regulations, working with Indigenous Peoples, the public, and industry.
In 2025-26, the Department will continue to work with partners to effectively manage the cross border movement of hazardous waste and hazardous recyclable materials to increase compliance with and put in place amendments to the Cross-Border Movement of Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material Regulations (XBR).
The Department will also continue to prepare Canada’s first National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice. This strategy, to be published in 2026, will establish a plan to promote efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism.
More information about preventing and managing pollution can be found in the full plan.
Core responsibility 3: Conserving nature
Planned spending: $952,798,212
Planned human resources: 1,474
Departmental results:
- Canada’s wildlife and habitat are conserved and protected
- Canada’s species at risk are recovered
- Indigenous Peoples are engaged in conservation
In 2025-26, ECCC will continue supporting Canada’s commitments, to contribute to the attainment of the global targets and long-term goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
The Department will continue to fulfill key statutory obligations under the Species at Risk Act, the implementation of which is core to Canada’s commitment to meet Target 4 of the KMGBF, and implement the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada (PDF), while advancing related policy and program improvements to conserve and recover terrestrial species at risk, such as ECCC efforts to support the recovery and conservation of the Greater Sage-grouse and the Wood Bison, two of six federal, provincial, and territorial priority species. The Department will continue to implement the Migratory Birds Convention Act through established tools, such as agreements (Nature Agreements) and grants and contributions for collaborative management and conservation of migratory birds, while maintaining a robust program to maintain and restore healthy populations.
In 2025-26, the Department will lead the creation of protected areas through biosphere regions as well as expand National Wildlife Areas, through collaboration with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, and other partners to protect private lands, recover species at risk, while maintaining and restoring healthy populations of migratory birds, along with protecting and conserving lands and freshwater—including vital ecosystems and habitats.
ECCC will continue to deliver emissions reductions from nature-based climate solutions through Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund projects that conserve, restore, and improve the management of grasslands, forests, wetlands, and peatlands to store and capture carbon.
More information about conserving nature can be found in the full plan.
Core responsibility 4: Predicting weather and environmental conditions
Planned spending: $270,833,902
Planned human resources: 1,688
Departmental results:
- Canadians use authoritative weather and related information to make decisions about health and safety
In 2025-26, ECCC will continue to improve its weather, environmental, and climate prediction services through innovations in technology and infrastructure, and advance work on the future of hydrometeorological services. The Department will place a special focus on meeting the growing demand for timely, accurate and reliable information about weather and climate-related risks and emergencies while adapting to the changing context and user needs. The Department will upgrade its high-performance computing (HPC) system to enhance its modelling and prediction capabilities and meet evolving needs. The Department will also continue to advance its weather and environmental prediction models by leveraging emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and will modernize public forecast services and products, including the delivery of impact-based decision services. This could include, for example, the development of tailored communications products to better inform Canadians on the weather or services to support public authorities with impact-based warnings and notifications.
The Department will also continue to optimize and stabilize atmospheric monitoring networks to ensure efficient and sustainable operation, including continuous improvement of technologies, asset and data management, and multi-stakeholder governance that will help meet evolving requirements and improve services in key areas, such as high-impact weather and flooding. In addition, ECCC will continue to modernize its hydrometric infrastructure and improve hydrologic services through the evaluation and operationalization of new technologies and methods to gather and analyze water information in collaboration with provincial and territorial partners.
More information about predicting weather and environmental conditions can be found in the full plan.