Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 17, 2022 -

Canada has failed to translate commitments into reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions, according to a unanimous report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts (the Committee) presented today by John Williamson, Chair of the Committee.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (Commissioner or CESD) released a report in 2021 that provided a historical perspective on Canada’s action to address climate change mitigation and adaptation in order to inform parliamentarians.

The CESD report examined Canada’s climate action and its participation in international organizations since the late 1980s. Although the Committee report did not present any recommendations, it included 8 lessons learned based on this historical analysis, each with its own set of considerations for parliamentarians.

As noted in this report’s conclusion, the Commissioner supports the Committee’s initiative in studying its work and consequently, the Committee plans to study additional CESD reports in the future.