Notes for remarks by the Honourable Joyce Murray, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, to Conflux Canada

May 10, 2018

The Shaw Centre, Ottawa

Check against delivery

Thank you.

To begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Algonquin People. 

It’s great to be here to talk about the government’s leadership role in the fight against climate change.

I’m also thrilled to be speaking to people who are as committed to this as we are.

The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change is our shared plan to meet our GHG emissions-reduction targets, grow the economy, and build resilience to a changing climate.

Today, I would like to speak about the actions we are taking to reduce emissions in our operations, and turn climate change into an opportunity for growth and prosperity in this country. 

The Greening Government Strategy

As you may recall, the federal government announced its Greening Government Strategy in December 2017.

This strategy takes important steps to implement Canada’s domestic and international environmental commitments, including those found in the Paris Climate Agreement, the Pan-Canadian Framework for Clean Growth and Climate Change, and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. 

It also sets out a path to a low-carbon and green government that is resilient to the effects of climate change.

The strategy focuses on 4 key areas: 

• real property 
• fleet
• procurement and clean technology
• adaptation

Consistent with other world-leading jurisdictions, our target is to cut 2005 emissions levels from federal operations by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

The strategy also expands the scope of the emissions tracked from 15 federal departments to 23. And it adds new actions to address federal water use, waste generation, the greening of leased facilities and greening procurement.

It also sets out adaptation measures to ensure that federal infrastructure and services can withstand the effects of climate change. 

For example, we commit: 

• to supporting the transition towards a low-carbon economy through measures that require our buildings’ annual energy  requirements be minimized and potentially met from non-fossil-based energy sources
• to ensuring that 75% of new light-duty administrative vehicles be zero-emission vehicles or hybrids, and that all new executive vehicles be zero-emission or hybrids 
• to addressing water and waste by requiring new federal buildings to have best-in-class water-use practices
• to setting a target for reducing construction, renovation and demolition waste generated by federal building projects
• to incorporating adaptation in departmental risk planning and working to ensure our buildings are resilient to a changing climate

The strategy also focuses on the well-being of our employees and the communities in which we operate.

To this end, we’ll be working with all levels of government, Indigenous peoples, industry, academia and non-profit organizations to achieve shared environmental goals.

This gives you some idea of what’s in our Greening Government Strategy.

I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already done so.

You may find our approach useful for setting actions, targets and milestones in your own organizations.

At the same time, of course, we’re keen to continue learning from your best practices and successes. 

Achievements to date

I would now like to turn to the government’s achievements in reducing GHG emissions to date. 

To begin with, in November 2016, we created the Centre for Greening Government within the Treasury Board Secretariat. The Centre is a focal point for the leadership of our greening activities.

As well as providing direction, it drives results, tracks and reports on federal emissions and other key environmental indicators.

It also coordinates our efforts with federal, provincial and territorial partners.

And last December, it released data on GHG emissions from federal operations up to year 2016 to 2017. This is available on our open data portal and the Canada.ca website. 

The data shows that a core group of 15 departments and agencies have collectively reduced their emissions by 28% since year 2005 to 2006.

So we have made considerable progress towards our goal.

And we are not only determined to cut our emissions, but we’re also committed to keeping Canadians informed as we do so, step by step.

Openness and transparency are key to achieving results. 

This makes it easier for Canadians to track our progress, weigh the results, ask questions, and collaborate with us on solutions.

Let me emphasize that while this data supports the transition to a low-carbon economy and our international climate change commitments, it can also stimulate the growing clean-tech sector, and reduce our energy costs.

The government also has major greening initiatives going on at the departmental level.

For example, National Defence has:

• developed an energy and environment strategy
• switched fuels from oil to natural gas for heating in key locations
• begun refurbishing the heating plant and distribution system at CFB Halifax

Public Services and Procurement Canada is implementing, among other projects, heating plant upgrades here in Ottawa and a bulk purchase of clean electricity in Alberta.

Other departments are moving forward with low-carbon portfolio plans, major building retrofits to achieve efficiency gains, clean technology adoption, and green fleet purchases.

We have also entered into an agreement with the Council of Canadian Academies to examine the top climate change risks facing both Canada and the federal government, and their relative significance. 

It will advance the conversation around adaptation and building climate resilience into policy, program and project management across the country.

And in the international context, we are always looking to learn from best practices.

For example, the Prime Minister and President Macron of France committed to increasing cooperation through the France-Canada Partnership on climate and the environment.

Within that agreement, our 2 countries have committed to reducing emissions by transitioning government operations to highly efficient buildings, zero-emissions vehicle fleets, and clean power. 

Moving Forward

Moving forward, Canada will continue to take action on projects with the most potential for reducing emissions, such as large office buildings, campuses and military bases.

And we will get further reductions with measures such as adopting 100% clean electricity by 2025 and making improvements to energy-distribution networks. 

We will support the transition towards a low-carbon economy through procurement practices.

Water and waste will be addressed with new measures. 

We will continue to work alongside provincial and territorial partners, developing, for example, a federal-provincial-territorial compendium of best and promising practices for reducing emissions from government operations. This will be published this spring.

After all, this is a national effort with implications for all Canadians.

Conclusion

Let me leave you with this thought.

With continued collaboration between all partners, especially in cities like Ottawa, where we have such a large presence, Canadians can build a cleaner, more innovative economy. 

We can build an economy that reduces emissions and protects our environment, one that saves money on energy costs, while providing well-paying jobs for the middle class. 

So we’re leading by example. 

We’re setting ambitious goals and targets, and we’re determined to meet them through concrete actions.

We have the will and the way to turn the challenge of climate change into an opportunity, and build a cleaner, safer, more prosperous future for Canadians. 

We look forward to working with you to do that.

Thank you.