The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, launched the Canada Electricity Advisory Council, an independent body of 19 experts who will provide the Government of Canada with advice on actions needed to achieve our 2035 and 2050 net-zero emissions goals as they pertain to electricity.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, joined by the Honourable Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests of British Columbia, visited the Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia in North Vancouver to launch the 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program’s 2023 tree-planting season and announce that Canada and B.C. have signed a Contribution Agreement under the 2BT program. Under this two-year agreement, over 37 million trees will be planted in the province through nearly $80 million in joint funding from Canada and British Columbia.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, today announced a contribution of $331,000 to the Nk’Mip Forestry LLP’s Osoyoos Indian Band Nk’Mip Creek Wildfire Restoration project. The contribution comes from the 2 Billion Trees program, which supports governments and organizations in planting two billion trees over 10 years. Trees planted through the 2 Billion Trees program will capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, help to restore nature and biodiversity, cool our urban centres and create and support thousands of sustainable jobs across the country.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, was in Edmonton, Alberta, to highlight Budget 2023’s investments in clean technologies including electricity. These investments will support Canada’s electricity sector to create good-paying jobs and deliver a net-zero electricity grid by 2035.
Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada is fighting global inflation and supporting families with the cost of groceries and home heating. Today, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Labour, provided an update on the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability (OHPA) Program, first announced in November 2022.
The world is moving toward a global, net-zero economy in order to address the existential threat of climate change. This transition is generating a significant increase in demand for clean energy and technologies, and the raw materials that enable them.
Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, opened two calls for proposals for Indigenous-led projects, one under the Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative (ZEVAI) and the other under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). These funding streams are part of NRCan’s work to build meaningful partnerships and ensure Indigenous Peoples benefit from funding opportunities that can help create good jobs, make EV charging more accessible, spread awareness about EVs and clean fuels, and contribute to our shared fight against climate change.
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $1 million for Taykwa Tagamou Nation (TTN) and Oneida Nation of the Thames (Oneida) to develop community distributed energy resources (DER) solutions that will help address the unique demand increases and the reliability and energy challenges in First Nations communities.
The Government of Canada is committed to the safe, effective and environmentally sound management of radioactive waste. Protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment is the government’s top priority when it comes to nuclear energy and radioactive waste. Canada already has a robust framework in place; however, we must keep pace with evolving views and technology development.
That is why the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, is releasing the modernized Policy for Radioactive Waste and Decommissioning (the Policy) for Canada, which ensures the safe management of radioactive waste continues to align with international standards and best practices that reflect the values and principles of Canadians. The full text of the Policy will be accessible online in the coming days.