Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced at COP15 that Canada, along with Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, are launching the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance to drive the global uptake of environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive and responsible mining, processing and recycling practices and responsible critical minerals supply chains.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, opened two calls for the Green Freight Program and the Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative’s (ZEVAI) new medium- and heavy-duty stream to help drivers save money at the pump while contributing to Canada’s fight against climate change.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change (ECCC) and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced that Canada has pledged to join the Bonn Challenge, a global initiative aimed at bringing 350 million hectares (Mha) of degraded and deforested landscapes under restoration by 2030.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of $18.7 million in support of Scaling-up Nature-Based Leadership Platforms. Through the proven partnerships of the International Model Forest Network in official development assistance (ODA)–eligible countries, this investment will support efforts to scale up forest and landscape restoration, enable inclusive landscape governance and equip the next generation of forest leaders to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced the launch of the third call for proposals of the 2 Billion Trees program. This will result in additional long-term agreements with eligible partners, including Indigenous communities and partners, municipalities and for- and non-profit organizations as we continue to advance our commitment to support partners in planting two billion trees by 2031.
Today, in Vancouver, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, released Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy, backed by up to $3.8 billion in federal funding allocated in Budget 2022. The proposed funding covers a range of industrial activities, from geoscience and exploration to mineral processing, manufacturing and recycling applications, including support for research, development and technological deployment.
Minister Wilkinson announced the Government of Canada’s implementation of this commitment with the release of the policy guidelines that lay the foundation for federal departments and agencies to put in place the measures set out in the Statement.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of nearly $3 million from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program for Fraser Basin Council’s Energy Peers in Indigenous Communities (EPIC) Network, a capacity-building program designed to encourage Indigenous leadership in the renewable energy and electrification sectors across British Columbia.
The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of $563,323 to Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) to recruit up to 15 Indigenous participants to become licensed and registered EnerGuide energy advisors.
The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced over $1,462,500 to the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) for the training of energy advisors from under-represented groups like the Red River Métis within the province of Manitoba. The funding will support training, mentorship and upskilling activities that aim to increase the number of energy advisors. This will enable timely EnerGuide evaluations for all Manitobans in remote, rural and northern regions.