Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-17 13:57
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We know what the COVID-19 emergency response from government looks like. One year ago today, on June 17, 2019, the House voted that we were in a climate emergency. When can we expect to see the government take the climate emergency similarly and seriously?
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver)
2020-06-17 13:57
Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the honourable member for her question.
Climate change remains a high priority for this government. It is a crisis. It is something that we as Canadians need to address, as does the broader international community. We made a commitment to move forward to address and exceed the target that we had established previously. We made a commitment to achieving net-zero by 2050. We are fully committed to ensuring that we move forward in a manner that will allow us to achieve both.
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-17 13:58
With all due respect, we know what the government looks like when it’s taking an emergency seriously. It listens to the science and it applies the programs that science requires. In this case, the climate emergency, the scientific advice came in the IPCC report from October 8, 2018, that the window on 1.5°C, the Paris target, was closing. The current target put in place by Stephen Harper is five years old and is about half of what needs to be done.
If this government treated COVID-19 the way they treat climate, we would have told Theresa Tam, “We can’t stay six feet apart. You’ll have to be happy with three feet.”
Again to the minister, when will we see a target consistent with the science?
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver)
2020-06-17 13:59
Certainly, climate change is a science issue. It’s not a political issue. It should not be a partisan issue. We are guided by the science in everything that we are doing. We developed the pan-Canadian framework, which has 50 different initiatives to allow us to reduce emissions. We said that we know we need to go further, and we are in the process of developing an updated plan that will ensure that we do that. We will be standing up a panel to consult the Canadian public on a pathway to net-zero by 2050, and are working actively every day to ensure that we do that.
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-17 13:59
When will we see the requirement under the Paris Agreement for a new target tabled by Canada within calendar 2020?
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver)
2020-06-17 13:59
Madam Chair, we have been very clear that we would be updating our target in advance of the next COP. That has not changed. We will be doing that. I look forward to being able to bring that forward and discuss it with all Canadians.
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-17 14:00
To the honourable minister, I don’t know. It’s very difficult because clearly there are well-intentioned ministers and well-intentioned people.
Do you know the difference between 417 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere with a well-intentioned minister and 417 parts per million with a disinterested or hostile minister? The answer is that there’s no difference at all.
We are in a worsening climate emergency. I need to hear clearly from the minister, and I hope I will this time. Will we comply with the Paris Agreement and come up with a new target within calendar 2020?
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver)
2020-06-17 14:00
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This government has been very clear. We are fully committed to addressing the climate crisis. It is an enormous priority for us. We have put a plan in place. We have worked very hard to develop an additional number of initiatives that will go forward with respect to a new plan and a new target, supplementing the work that was done by the previous Minister of Environment and Climate Change. We all feel extremely strongly about this in the House. Certainly it’s the reason I got into politics in the first place. It’s something that I’ve spent many years of my life working on, and it’s something to which I personally, and the government as a whole, are firmly committed.
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
2020-06-17 14:01
I appreciate the good words, Madam Chair. I’ve heard them before. What I have not heard is the firm commitment to at least double our target within calendar 2020 to comply with our goal of holding to 1.5°C. It’s a critical goal and the window is closing.
In COVID-19 this government has acted with resolve. It’s been an astonishing whole-of-government approach. When will we see a similar level of commitment from this government to address the climate emergency?
Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (North Vancouver)
2020-06-17 14:02
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I think the honourable member should be aware that, even in the context of a very challenging circumstance with respect to COVID-19, this government has moved forward with key elements of its climate plan, including the pricing on pollution, including ensuring liquidity for large corporations was put in the context of commitments to climate change. This government has been very clear this is an enormous priority. It’s a priority guided by science. It’s a priority we are working on not just domestically but internationally, and it is something we will continue to work on because we must.