QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
December 2, 2021
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, last week, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development released his fourth report entitled Emissions Reduction Fund. The Onshore Program was designed to provide financial support to energy companies because of the drop in the price of oil during the pandemic.
The commissioner’s report stated the following:
Overall, Natural Resources Canada did not design the Onshore Program of the Emissions Reduction Fund to ensure credible and sustainable reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector or value for the money spent.
The Onshore Program was so ill-conceived and poorly executed that it is having the opposite of the intended effect. Senator Gold, can you please explain why your government allowed such a flawed program to be implemented?
Thank you for the question. The government is aware of this report and it greatly appreciates all the work that went into it. The government has planned many initiatives to reduce impacts on the environment, for example the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, so that we can continue to fight climate change.
I’ll do this in English, so hopefully we can get a more complete answer. According to data from the Angus Reid Institute, climate change was the number-one issue for Canadians this past election as well as during the 2019 election.
The commissioner’s recently tabled Report 5: Lessons Learned from Canada’s Record on Climate Change provides a historical review of Canada’s commitments and actions with respect to reducing emissions and fighting climate change.
In the report, the commissioner quite bluntly, states:
Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the Paris Agreement was signed, making it the worst performing of all G7 nations since the 2015 Conference of the Parties in Paris, France.
We’re not talking about a year or two: we’re talking 2015 to today. Senator Gold, given the importance of this issue for Canadians, and given the fact that Canadians expect action and results on this file, can you explain why this government is failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and why Canada is falling behind all G7 nations with respect to fighting climate change?
The fight against climate change involves a concerted effort not only by the federal government but also by the provinces and territories, especially those that have exclusive jurisdiction over natural resources and the rates of production therefrom. It also involves the concerted effort of Canadians and political parties of all stripes.
The Government of Canada is very pleased that other political parties and Canadians recognize the importance of the fight against climate change. This government has taken steps and will continue to take steps, unprecedented in history — a suite of measures — to reduce the impact on our climate of human activity associated with industrial activity. It will continue to pursue that in the best interests of Canadians across the country.
