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Results: 1 - 15 of 110
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It's a pleasure for me to be here to speak on this very important issue.
As we all know, one of the most pressing environmental issues Canadians currently face is climate change. What I want to do today is update you on the progress the Government of Canada is making to address this issue.
Responding to climate change is about one thing; it's about choices. Do we carry on with business as usual? If we do, Canada will be left behind as the world searches for innovative ways to address climate change.
Do we continue to live our day-to-day lives the same way? If we do, the Canada we leave behind will be diminished environmentally, socially, and economically.
Do we continue to think that there's little we can do about issues that are as complicated as climate change? If we do, we underestimate ourselves. We underestimate the power of individual decisions and actions. We underestimate the change that can result if we put that familiar credo--think globally, act locally--to work. The decisions and choices we make today will dramatically shape our world in the years to come.
Mr. Chairman, I'm confident we're on a track to make the right choices, and the Government of Canada has laid out a detailed plan, the climate change plan for Canada, to make those choices a reality.
Our plan is founded on building new avenues to help us work together--provinces, territories, municipalities, aboriginal communities, industry partners, non-governmental organizations, and individuals--because we all need to be pulling in the same direction. Our plan will provide individual Canadians with the tools and information they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in their daily lives.
Our plan will invest in the new, innovative changes and innovative technologies Canada and the world will need to effectively address climate change, new technologies that will bring new economic opportunities to our country. Our plan, Mr. Chairman, will show that the Government of Canada is leading by example and is reaching well beyond the reduction targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol.
Finally, our plan is based on clear guidelines. Our economy cannot be put at risk and no region will bear an unfair burden. We must provide a favourable investment climate.
Over the past year we've seen three important milestones in our efforts. In November last year we released our “Climate Change Plan for Canada”. On December 17 we ratified the Kyoto Protocol. In our 2003 budget we dedicated $2 billion to help implement Canada's plan. Only yesterday Minister Anderson and I tabled a comprehensive report on climate change in the House of Commons, the first comprehensive report on the Government of Canada's investment in climate change from 1997 to 2002. This report is our first effort to provide a measure of overall accounting and it established a precedent for future reporting. I'm pleased to share this report with you this morning, and I look forward to documenting our progress and successes in future climate change reports.
Mr. Chairman, I'm here today to talk about that progress and about new developments in a number of climate change areas. The potential economic and environmental benefits of reacting to climate change are enormous. Acting now makes more than just environmental sense, it makes good economic sense. It means new business opportunities, new markets, and new jobs. The global market for environmental products, technologies, and services is estimated to be $1 trillion a year, with exceptional growth potential. Those countries and those companies that develop the best technologies will find themselves in an enviable economic position in the years to come. Our investments are paying dividends, dividends that will continue to multiply in the future.
As you may be aware, my cabinet colleagues and I have been meeting to discuss how to best allocate the resources identified in the budget to reach our goal.
Our approach is one of partnerships. Every aspect of our climate change plan ultimately requires cooperation with our partners at all levels, and this is the key message we need to reinforce. Our plan wasn't developed in a Government of Canada vacuum; it's the result of years of listening to Canadians, provinces, industries, and other groups. It responds to the extensive consultations we've had. No other country in the world has put such an emphasis on consultation.
All of our partners have acknowledged that we need to take action on climate change now. Essentially, we're inviting our partners to bring their ideas forward, to invest with us, to develop new technologies, and to get programs up and running that will help individuals do their part. These programs will show the world that sustainable development that puts together our environmental, social, and economic concerns is not only possible but also the road to future prosperity.
Mr. Chairman, that being said, I'll now go through some key areas in addressing climate change.
New technologies will be fundamentally to responding to climate change. Developing new technologies isn't an overnight proposition, it requires time, money, and patience. It requires learning from our mistakes and turning them into long-term successes.
Mr. Chairman, we're pursuing a wide range of new climate change technologies: hydrogen and fuel cells, solar power, wind power, carbon dioxide capture and storage, biomass, and alternative transportation fuels. For example, Natural Resources Canada and other Government of Canada organizations have for more than twenty years supported the development of Canada's hydrogen and fuel cell industry.
Fuel cells are on the cusp of revolutionizing how we produce power. The long-term potential seems almost limitless. Our investments in hydrogen and fuel cells are paying dividends, dividends that will continue to multiply in the future. Canadian companies like Ballard, Hydrogenics, Stuart Energy, and Dynetek, to name only a few, are leading the way.
NRCan first started working with Ballard in the early 1980s. Today Ballard's fuel cell technology is being used in a variety of ways. The Ford fuel cell vehicle and the Citaro bus are just a few examples. They were both on display at the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Conference in Vancouver last weekend, which I attended.
We've also supported Dynetek for more than a decade. Today its hydrogen storage cylinders are used in a number of vehicles.
We've supported Stuart Energy Systems as it created Canada's first hydrogen refuelling station, established in Vancouver. Today Stuart is a recognized international leader.
We've worked with Hydrogenics since it opened in 1995. Today, after only seven years, it is delivering clean energy solutions for the commercial market across the transportation, stationary, and portable power spectrum.
Just last Sunday I had the privilege of announcing over $14 million in new funding to support three important hydrogen fuel cell projects. Canada is leading the way in fuel cell technology, and we intend to reinforce this position with this and other important promising technologies. That's why we boosted our support for Sustainable Development Technology Canada by $250 million, bringing our total investment in SDTC to $350 million.
Mr. Chairman, emerging renewable energy sources such as wind power and related technologies are a key part of our climate change strategy. The Government of Canada has been investing in renewable energy sources for many years, having put $350 million towards encouraging markets for renewable energy sources since 1997. We're investing $260 million of this investment for renewable energy in the wind power production incentive, which will increase the amount of wind power available in Canada by 500%.
Our plan calls for 10% of the nation's new electricity generation to come from emerging renewable sources, and we have committed to purchasing at least 20% of our electricity for federal operations from green power sources.
Fossil fuels, however, will remain a major part of our energy mix for decades to come. We are committed to finding ways to produce and use these fuels as cleanly and efficiently as possible. We're working to capture CO2 and store it underground. The Government of Canada has been investing in this area for many years. Developing the innovative technologies is the key and is worth the effort.
Mr. Chairman, the large industrial emitters, the oil and gas, electricity, and mining and manufacturing sectors account for about half of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. They are vitally important to our economy and crucial in our response to climate change.
Our approach to the large industrial emitters was set out in the climate change plan for Canada. At its centre are negotiated covenants with a regulatory backstop. Our objective will be to minimize the cost of achieving the 55 megatonne emission reduction target. This approach is smart regulation action. We will keep the regulatory backstop as simple and transparent as possible. We will deal with complicated and unusual situations through negotiated covenants.
Since the release of the plan, officials have met with all of the industry associations and with many individual companies. These meetings have provided industry with clarity, and the government's commitment to the 55 megatonne reduction target has been reiterated.
One thing industry has made clear to us is the need for governments to work together to minimize the compliance burden. To meet this objective federal officials have met a number of times with their provincial counterparts. They are working on developing a joint system for measurement, reporting, and verification that will provide us with the data we need while ensuring that business is not faced with an unreasonable compliance cost. These actions, Mr. Chairman, are helping ensure that we continue to strike a balance between a vibrant, flourishing economy and our climate change objectives.
Mr. Chairman, let me turn to Canada's forests and their role in helping us address climate change. Forests can be carbon sinks, effectively absorbing CO2, and our Kyoto partners have recognized this fact. Canada's forests already play a role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions. For example, a single tree can absorb many tonnes of carbon dioxide during its lifetime.
I'm particularly excited by the possibilities presented by afforestation, planting trees on marginal farmland and in other suitable areas. Fast-growing, high-yield forest plantations can contribute to our climate change targets through their use as sinks. These plantations could increase the rate of carbon storage in the first commitment period, with even greater results as trees mature in subsequent periods. I continue to discuss this with my provincial and territorial colleagues so we can have a coordinated approach going forward.
To deal with climate change, Mr. Chairman, we all need to take action, companies of all sizes, governments at all levels, and individual Canadians. The climate change plan for Canada outlines a number of areas where we will encourage action: expanding the Canadian industry program for energy conservation to help small and medium-sized enterprises become more energy efficient; establishing a goal for 25% of new buildings to be above the Model National Energy Code for Buildings by 2010; reducing our emissions by 31% below 1990 levels by 2010, and we have already cut them by 21%; and asking Canadians to cut their personal greenhouse gas emissions on average by one tonne. That means becoming more energy-efficient, and we're committed to helping Canadians to do this.
In conclusion, I can say we have a clear and detailed strategy to meet our climate change goal and create an economic advantage for Canada so we can work with our partners, so we can be flexible, and so we can take advantage of new opportunities and technologies. We're already working with the provinces, territories, and other stakeholders on energy efficiency, technology development, and renewables. That work will continue as we move forward.
The climate change plan for Canada is ambitious but achievable. It points Canada in a direction that will take us to an even brighter future. Years from now Canadians will look back and see that we took a step in the right direction. This is a responsibility we must fulfill for the generations to come so our children and our children's children enjoy the same opportunities we do. It's a responsibility we cannot shirk.
I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I would welcome any questions the committee might have at this time.
But before I do that, let me just say that I attended the recent hydrogen convention and I was impressed with the Canadian companies there, impressed with what they had accomplished. I had the opportunity myself to drive a fuel cell vehicle fuelled by hydrogen. It shows it can be done; the technology is there. The question is, can it be done economically to compete within the current industry? There's a huge effort by both the auto industry and technology companies to bring the cost down to where fuel cells can be economically competitive and commercially viable. I think the show that was done in Vancouver was very interesting and it displayed Canada's lead in the whole area of fuel cell technology.
Thank you very much.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Thank you very much.
First of all, as you may know, we've been very supportive of wind energy through the $260-million wind energy incentive program.
The other thing we're doing is encouraging large utilities to ensure that they buy a certain amount of their new power as renewable energy, and certain utilities have taken a lead role, for example B.C. Hydro in British Columbia. They've said that for any new energy needs they will buy 20% or 30%--I can't remember the exact percentage--through their renewable portfolio. This is a standard they've set up, a part of their program. It will create opportunity, certainly, for farmers and other people who want to sell back into the grid system.
I would think that most utilities would want to do that because many of them are adopting a certain percentage, what we call a renewable portfolio standard, for power that comes from renewable energy.
But as to whether we can legally force them to do that, I think it's within the provincial context. Provincial governments could force them to do that because they're crown corporations. Federally we could not legally force them to do that, but we certainly encourage it, and when we meet with energy ministers from across the country, we encourage all their utilities to adopt a portfolio standard that will commit them to buying a certain percentage of their power as renewable energy.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
In fact, at the last meeting of energy ministers I raised this, that we could have all the utilities make a commitment to buy renewable energy as a certain percentage of new demand. We raised this but we couldn't get a consensus. In B.C., as I said, they are saying a minimum of 30%. Once they make that commitment, it will encourage them to buy solar energy, wind energy, and other renewables. Once they make that commitment, they'll be required to fulfill it, and I think that will encourage the purchase of power onto the grid. It's something I'm very much trying to get consensus on, and there is movement towards that.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
First of all, as the honourable member knows, I have announced a panel with a chair so we can consult with British Columbians, because as you know, there is a moratorium. We will also have a science panel with one person to review all that, and we will also be consulting with aboriginal communities through my department. Once we have all that information in a report some time next year, we will be making a decision on that.
But it's important to consult British Columbians, have all the facts on the table, look at the science, and have a comprehensive review before we make that decision. That's what I am attempting to do.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
First of all, when we were at the International Energy Agency meeting just recently in Paris, Russia did make a presentation. They were asked this question about whether they were going to ratify, and their response was that they would like to hear from the rest of the world in terms of how Russia could benefit from this and whether there was a country that was willing to buy some of the opportunities there. A number of countries said they were very interested.
I can't predict whether they will sign on. I expect that they will because I think it's in the long-term interest of Russia, but they are evaluating it at this time. We don't have any clear direction from them.
We have made a commitment to Kyoto because we think it's good for the world. It's good for Canada, and we should not back down if Russia does not sign it because it's in the interest of our future generations for us to deal with climate change. It should not change our view. It should not change the objectives and goals we've set. We think it's in the interest of the international community.
We would continue to make sure we fulfill our objectives because it's good for Canada and it's good for the world.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
We have with us Howard Brown, who has been dealing with the large emitters to make sure they meet their target of 55 megatonnes.
We are reviewing what we need in terms of legislation and regulatory systems to ensure we make that happen; that's being reviewed right now. We are very committed to making sure we have first of all a system that does not create a whole new bureaucracy but a system that is transparent, flexible, and simple.
We also want to work with the provinces because we think they can play an important role.
In our overall goal of climate change--and I've always said this from day one when I was on this file--we can only accomplish our objectives in climate change if we work in partnership with the provinces, with the territories, with Canadians, and with all other levels of government. We are very committed to doing that.
My deputy minister and the Environment deputy minister have met with provincial governments across this country to look at what their priorities are and how they feel they can contribute. We are working toward developing an MOU with the provincial governments to make sure they play a role.
In the review of our budgetary items we're looking at opportunities where financial resources can be provided so we can also work in partnership with the provinces on technology and other priorities we share. There will be a number of programs we can work on in partnership with the provinces, and they'll have to play an important role.
Those discussions are going on, and we hope to sign MOUs with the provinces on what they feel is important for them and how that can fit in with our agenda in the federal government.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Yes, these are questions that can take a long time to answer.
Let me state first of all the commitment of the government. As you know, we committed $1.7 billion in our first major commitment and $2 billion in our second major commitment. This is a huge commitment the federal government has put forward, and we'll be making announcements on the second budgetary item in more detail in the near future. We're very much committed to things like the retrofit of homes, alternative fuels, and energy efficiency. We have to do all of those things and we'll be moving on that.
In terms of the active participation of provinces, yes, as I stated earlier, it's our intention to work with them closely to determine what their priorities are and how they can be part of this program. There'll be many opportunities for us to work with the provinces. It's a little easier to do an MOU, where we sit down with them and figure out what their priorities are, what they can deliver, and how we can help them. Those are in the works right now and there's ongoing communication.
In terms of your third question, whether we can fulfill our responsibility, well, we have to. We've signed onto the Kyoto Protocol. We as a country have said that we will do our part, and I don't think we have any choices. If there are areas where we don't achieve as much, we'll have to reassess our position and make sure we carry out our responsibility. Canada is known in the world as a country that's responsible; when we make commitments, we fulfill them. I think both this government and the future government would have to make sure they carried out that commitment.
Signing the protocol was very important for us. It said a lot about Canada, and we have to make sure we fulfill it. I'm certain as Minister of Natural Resources that we'll be able to do that.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
I think the honourable member is assuming that we've made a decision on that. No decision has been made.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Any commitment of that nature would have to be made by cabinet, not me as the Minister of Natural Resources.
The Government of Canada has not made commitments in the past. In fact, the current mandate does not allow me to make any commitments for that project. What we did have was a private sector consortium that was trying to attract the project to Canada, but there's no decision by us as a government to support it or provide funding for it. I don't think anybody should jump to any conclusions.
All we've said is, there's been a request made to us by ITER Canada. I've consulted with my colleagues, with members of the cabinet, and we're reviewing it. Nobody should come to any conclusion that we've made any decision on that.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
First, as you know, Canada was very instrumental in getting credit for carbon sinks because we think it'll be of great benefit to Canada. One of the areas where we think we have a huge advantage is with what we call Forest 20/20, where we take marginal farmland and use it for large plantations of fast-growing trees. As you know, they absorb CO2; we think it will be beneficial and we can get credit for carbon sinks. Because of our huge land size as a country with such a large area where we can plant trees, we think, not only for getting credit for now but for the future, this is a huge opportunity.
The details of how it will work and how it will be calculated have to be worked out, but our position has been very clear, that we as a government support carbon sinks. We think it's a great advantage for Canada to have carbon sinks, not only with the existing sinks we have but with additional sinks we can develop through afforestation, and in the long term this will be good for the world as well.
We support carbon sinks and the government has done so, but the details of the rules and how we calculate that are still being worked out. I don't know enough about that to give you a more detailed answer.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Thank you very much, Julian.
Let me talk about small hydro projects. We are supportive of those hydro projects. I guess they don't get the same attention because for what we do in wind energy a large amount of money goes in there. But through many of our programs, technology early action measures or TEAM, for example, we're working on small hydro projects.
A good example is in the National Capital Region; there is a program that focuses on refurbishing hydro plants in Ottawa and Gatineau. At Morgans Falls in Nova Scotia as well we are focusing on that, so there are programs that are focusing on small hydro projects. As well, there's the government's program to buy green energy at a higher cost than it would otherwise pay. Our program to buy green energy also helps the small hydro projects.
So we are interested in doing that. There may not be specific programs, but we have programs in place through TEAM and also through the technology work at CANMET--this is the energy technology centre--to look at new hydro turbine generating systems and also the development of low-cost mini- or micro-hydro systems for off-grid applications. There are a variety of programs for research and for working with small hydro generation.
I was involved in opening the one in Gatineau, where they have a small hydro project, which is green power because it doesn't have any environmental problems and doesn't create any problems for fish moving up the river. There are lots of examples of small hydro projects that are working, and we're involved through a number of different programs we have.
Maybe we're not giving enough attention to that area, but I can assure you that we are in a variety of programs. In terms of the co-benefits, we have a budget we announced of $2 billion, and we have to make sure it's cost-effective. It's based on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and we're looking at balancing that to deal with the short, medium, and long terms.
And yes, there are co-benefits, and there are opportunities for other departments to also play a role in that and say, well, this is important for my department; can we also partner in some of those areas? I think that's a good idea, and people should be able to partner along with the provinces as well. That's why what we announced will allow partnerships with provinces as well as with other departments who feel they can participate because it's important because of the co-benefits. Co-benefits are important; they are taken into consideration and will be when we introduce a final package.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
I believe that comes under the Minister of the Environment.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Let me comment more generally, first of all. We've set an objective that we should have a 25% improvement by 2010 for fuel efficiency of automobiles--25%.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
We're working with the industry to have that improvement.
We could do all sorts of things to mandate. In the end, we still have the powers to mandate greater fuel efficiencies for all motor vehicles, but we think at this time it's better to work with the auto industry, have them come up with solutions, and have them make the commitment so they become partners. We've clearly put in our Kyoto plan that we expect them to improve fuel efficiency in motor vehicles by 25%.
There are a lot of new technologies coming up, for example the hybrid vehicles; there's a huge increase in fuel efficiency in hybrid vehicles, and there are a lot more hybrid vehicles coming on the market now.
Actually, in Alberta I saw an SUV the university is working on to convert into a hybrid vehicle. There are tremendous opportunities to improve it, and we expect an improvement of 25% in fuel efficiency from the automobile sector. That's what we hope to achieve by 2010.
View Herb Dhaliwal Profile
Lib. (BC)
Let me say that this is an important part of our Kyoto target. If we're not able to get cooperation from the auto industry, then we should look at legal instruments to make sure that happens. It's part of our Kyoto obligations, and if they don't carry that out, we have a problem. We should look at legal instruments if they do not comply.
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