QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Transport
Low-Emissions Transport
October 27, 2022
Minister Alghabra, welcome to the Senate.
Transportation is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, accounting for one quarter of Canada’s total emissions. The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development found in their 2022 report that Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada used different assumptions and approaches and came up with different numbers for modelling hydrogen production and use in Canada.
Your government set targets for zero-emission vehicles, light-duty vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. To what extent are you considering green hydrogen as a fuel for low-carbon transport, and which department’s modelling results are you using in your policy design?
Senator, thank you for that question. Indeed, you cannot be serious about fighting climate change unless you are serious about tackling emissions from the transportation sector.
About 85% of the emissions from the transportation sector comes from light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. Our government announced a plan to ensure that, by 2035, 100% of new light-duty vehicles are zero-emission. We’re aiming for 100% of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. We’re providing programs to support that, incentives for consumers and businesses, investment in BET tests, research and development. While much of the light-duty vehicle technology is available, there is still a lot of work being done on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Our government is not only supporting businesses who want to develop and create new technology but also helping consumers and businesses acquire these technologies.
