Ottawa, 7 October 2014—Julie Gelfand’s first report to Parliament in her role as Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development touches on a number of different areas, including the federal government’s actions related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental monitoring of oil sands, and marine navigation in the Canadian Arctic. The Commissioner’s findings underscore that the government does not have the answers to many questions that will impact the future of sustainable development in Canada.
“Despite some initiatives and progress in certain areas, there remain many unanswered questions,” said Ms. Gelfand. “In many key areas that we looked at, it is not clear how the government intends to address the significant environmental challenges that future growth and development will likely bring about.”
“The government does not know what Environment Canada’s role will be in oil sands monitoring beyond March 2015,” said Ms. Gelfand. “It has not made clear the rationale for what projects will be subject to environmental assessments, and I am concerned that some significant projects may not be assessed. It has also not determined what level of service it will provide in the Arctic to support increased navigation and minimize environment and safety risks. And it has not defined a national plan, with the provinces and territories, to achieve Canada’s international greenhouse gas emission reduction target.”
The report also looks at the implementation of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012) as well as progress in implementing commitments made in departmental sustainable development strategies. The annual report on environmental petitions is also included in the Commissioner’s Fall Report.
The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development will be holding a news conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa at 11:30 am.
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The 2014 Fall Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada Web site.
For more information, please click here.
