QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Energy Transition Program
November 5, 2024
Senator Gold, like me, the majority of Canadians support the transition to a lower carbon economy. We have ambitious targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and I am hopeful we are on the path towards meeting them.
But we know the transition will impact Canadians unevenly. What specific measures have the government implemented to help lower income Canadians take concrete action to contribute to the transition?
The government has introduced several measures to help reduce emissions, but many of those initiatives are targeting higher-income Canadians, individuals who can actually afford an electric vehicle or homeowners who can afford energy efficient retrofits. But what about lower-income Canadians, those who are renters or simply can’t afford the luxury of a vehicle but who are still struggling financially?
Thank you for your question, senator. The government has put into place numerous programs to help Canadians transition to more energy-efficient technologies. Time doesn’t permit listing all of them. Let me highlight the Canada Greener Affordable Housing Program. I understand the government is currently in discussions with both the provinces and territories to launch this new program in 2025. It is designed to better deliver the benefits of retrofits, whether insulation or heat pumps, to low- and medium-income households. Programs in each jurisdiction will take on the planning and coordination of retrofits, including the payment of contractors. Working directly with regional delivery partners will complement existing regional programs and enable such retrofits at no cost to homeowners and tenants. By working together, governments can offer effective and regionally tailored solutions that cut energy bills while improving environmental performance.
Thank you for that answer. A 2024 study commissioned by Natural Resources Canada that explored Canadians’ perceptions on the affordability of the energy transition revealed that energy costs are an ongoing concern among lower-income households. Has the government conducted any forward-looking studies or modelling on the projected costs of meeting our targets and how it might impact lower-income Canadians’ financial capabilities? To transition will be expensive.
Well, senator, thank you for your question. In the brief time I have, this is the main focus of the recently released Canada Green Buildings Strategy, which will help Canadians save money on their energy bills, help create good jobs and seize economic opportunities enabled by a low-carbon economy, all the while reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Specifically, the strategy helps Canadians adapt heat pumps and save money on energy bills through programs targeted at low- and medium-income households.
