Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is a group of 14 federal, provincial, and territorial ministers. This forum meets at least once a year to discuss priorities and collective actions on national and international environmental issues.
2024 meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
On July 10, Newfoundland and Labrador's former Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Bernard Davis, hosted the 2024 Canadian Council of Ministers (COM) meeting in St. John’s.
Climate change impacts
Ministers discussed the impacts on of climate change across Canada, including issues like flooding, erosion and drought. They discussed key regional challenges and priorities in dealing with those issues and recognized that working together is important to prepare, adapt and build more resilient communities.
Discussion with Indigenous leaders and partners
Prior to the meeting, Ministers met with some national and regional Indigenous leaders and partners to discuss adaptation and resilience. They shared their perspectives and experiences regarding the impacts of climate change on their communities in addition to providing insights into their environmental priorities. This helped inform the ministerial discussion in a valuable way.
Carbon management
Also ahead of the ministerial meeting, experts from universities, industries, and environmental organizations presented an overview of the development of carbon management in Canada. They also shared ideas on how Canada can reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions using technology and nature-based solutions.
This session informed the subsequent ministerial discussion where jurisdictions exchanged on the contribution of carbon management to the achievement of their respective climate goals. They discussed the importance of investing in carbon management and in non-emitting technologies, like a clean energy grid, to achieve a net-zero future.
Ongoing collaboration on key environmental priorities
Ministers confirmed that federal, provincial and territorial governments will keep working together through CCME on important environmental issues, such as:
- managing and preventing pollution of air, water and land
- reducing waste and moving towards a circular economy
- advancing climate initiatives, including a lower-carbon economy
- advancing and collaborating on emerging environmental issues and opportunities
At the end of the meeting, the Northwest Territories assumed the presidency of CCME and will host the 2025 CCME meeting.
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