OTTAWA,
ON, April 30, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of
Canada welcomes the five reports
tabled by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable
Development today, which assess federal management of environmental
and sustainable development issues and work to mitigate climate
change. The findings and recommendations offered by the reports
support accountability and transparency and strengthen ongoing work
to protect and preserve Canadian communities for future
generations.
Federal departments are already taking steps to address a number
of the Commissioner's recommendations.
The ministers of Environment and Climate Change; Northern
Affairs; Agriculture and Agri-Food; Innovation, Science and
Industry; and the President of the Treasury Board of Canada provided the following statements.
Quotes
Report 1 – Contaminated sites in the North
"I want to thank the Commissioner of the Environment and
Sustainable Development for his report and welcome his observations
of the work that we are doing to protect the environment.
The Government of Canada is
committed to taking the necessary actions to clean up federal
contaminated sites for the health of the environment and Canadians.
We are investing to identify sites, assess risks, estimate costs,
and record liabilities, and remediate and close these sites. Since
2005, over 24,000 federal contaminated sites have been identified,
and we have successfully closed more than 75 percent of them,
meaning they no longer pose a risk. We will continue to make
progress to address the remaining sites.
The Commissioner states that contaminated sites in Northern Canada have not been managed to
reduce the financial liability under our programs. However, it is
important to note that increasing liability amounts reflect the
fact that more sites have been assessed, revealing the more
accurate underlying liabilities. The ongoing assessment and
remediation activities throughout Canada help the Government understand the true
scope and scale of contamination. Contamination at many of the
sites is the result of historic activities, spanning decades.
Without the significant actions taken by the Government, that
liability would amount to an additional $4.6
billion.
Healthy land is fundamental to reconciliation with Indigenous
peoples. The Government of Canada
has assessed and remediated thousands of contaminated sites in
places where Indigenous peoples live. Government programs to
address contamination have also been an important source of
employment, particularly for many Indigenous communities in the
North. We will continue to build upon the efforts we have taken so
far to ensure that work at contaminated sites supports
reconciliation with Indigenous peoples."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister Environment and
Climate Change
"The recommendations of the Commissioner of the Environment and
Sustainable Development report will help Crown-Indigenous Relations
and Northern Affairs improve the effectiveness of the Northern
Contaminated Sites Program. This will, in turn, result in more
efficient and effective remediation of Northern contaminated sites,
greater economic opportunities for Northern Indigenous communities,
and a cleaner Northern environment.
On our shared path toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples,
we're actively exploring ways to promote Indigenous participation
in remediation activities and ensuring they benefit from the
management of contaminated sites in the North under its
custodianship. This occurs through the many community benefits
agreements signed with Indigenous governments, which are developed
with Indigenous partners and aligned with community priorities.
Protecting the health and safety of Indigenous and Northern
communities and the environment is a key component of the Arctic
and Northern Policy Framework, as we work to advance reconciliation
and renew relationships with Indigenous peoples based on respect,
partnership, and recognition of rights."
– The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs
Report 2 – Greening of building materials in public
infrastructure
"Under the Greening Government Strategy, we are taking important
steps to cut emissions across government and reach our goal of
net-zero operations by 2050. I thank the Commissioner for his
report and findings. Through Buy Clean measures and this
overarching Strategy, we are building on Canada's world-class clean manufacturing
advantage to encourage the use of construction materials that
reduce carbon emissions for federally owned major construction
projects. We agree with the Commissioner's recommendation and will
collaborate with key stakeholders to identify which high-embodied
carbon structural materials should be included in the Standard on
Embodied in Construction by the end of March
2025. We will continue to work within our ambitious Strategy
to reduce emissions in government operations and leverage the
government's purchasing power."
– The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board
Report 3 – Zero plastic waste
"The Commissioner's report provided valuable observations that
help strengthen the federal government's work to protect the
environment by tackling plastic waste and pollution. It also
provided recommendations on reporting out to Canadians on progress
toward zero plastic waste. Finally, it recognized that actions by
Canadians, including all orders of government, Indigenous
communities, industry, and civil society are needed to address this
pressing issue.
For its part, the Government of Canada recently launched a Federal Plastics
Registry to require producers to report annually on the quantity
and types of plastic they place on the Canadian market, how these
plastics move through the economy, and how they are managed at
their end-of-life. The data it collects will be valuable in
designing and delivering targeted actions and measuring progress,
not just by the Government of Canada, but by all stakeholders, to reach zero
plastic waste and transition to a circular plastics economy. This
is just one example of Canada's
comprehensive plan to reduce plastic waste and pollution and
improve how plastics are made, used, and managed to keep them in
the economy and out of the environment."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister Environment and
Climate Change
Report 4 – Strategic Innovation Fund's Net Zero Accelerator
initiative – Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Canada
"I would like to thank the Commissioner of the Environment and
Sustainable Development for his recommendations. At Innovation,
Science and Economic Development Canada, we are always looking for
ways to improve our program delivery.
Already, the Strategic Innovation Fund's $8 billion Net Zero Accelerator initiative has
made important contributions to Canada's climate goals by supporting the
decarbonization of heavy emitters. While we would prefer to reduce
heavy emissions even further by 2030, company readiness is a
factor, since many heavy emitters are still in the planning stages
of their decarbonization initiatives. This is why the Net Zero
Accelerator is about so much more than 2030 goals—it's shaping our
clean economy for decades to come and building a net-zero
future.
The Net Zero Accelerator has supported the industrial
transformation of Canada's
traditional industries and promoted both clean technology
development and the battery ecosystem. Just as important as
Canada's 2030 emissions reduction
goals, these objectives cannot be measured by immediate carbon
reductions.
Therefore, an assessment of the Net Zero Accelerator program's
value is incomplete if it does not include the commitments to
create or maintain over 34,000 good-paying jobs, and the
investments in the technology of the future that will help business
and industrial sectors achieve our 2050 net-zero goals. The
program's processes align with international standards, support
sound investment decisions, and incorporate the advice of
greenhouse gas experts.
Already, there are signs of success: Canada's net-zero economy grew to
$14 billion in 2023, according to RBC. The Net Zero
Accelerator is setting the stage for a net-zero future and
supporting the prosperity of Canadians as we transition to a clean
economy."
– The Honourable François-Philippe
Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
Report 5 – Agriculture and climate change mitigation –
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
"There is no doubt we need to do more to help the agriculture
sector reduce emissions, and quickly. I would like to thank the
Commissioner for the work and research undertaken in preparing the
Agriculture and Climate Change Mitigation Report, and I am
pleased to share that work is well underway to action the
recommendations. Since 2020, the Government of Canada has announced over $1.5 billion in funding to advance climate change
mitigation in the sector, including the Agricultural Clean
Technology Program, the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living
Labs Program, and the On-Farm Climate Action Fund. We are also
preparing work on a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, which has
been developed in partnership with folks from across the
agriculture sector, including producers, provincial and territorial
representatives, and Indigenous partners, and will set a shared
vision to support the sector's ambition and actions on climate
change and sustainability. Canadian farmers work hard every day to
produce the best products in the world and are already making
significant efforts to be more sustainable. Being on the front
lines of climate change, they have felt the devastating effects
first-hand, from droughts to wildfires to floods. It is vitally
important that we collectively take action to support their
livelihoods and the long-term success and sustainability of the
sector."
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and
Agri-Food
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page
Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page
SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada