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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET Read more at innovatingcanada.ca
Future of Our Planet Mediaplanet sat down with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault and the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau to learn about some of the most pressing environmental challenges we face today and how they're working with all stakeholders to drive our transition to a sustainable, just, and secure Canada for future generations.
Q&A
Within the context of sustainable development, what are some of the biggest challenges faced by industries in Canada? The reality is that we need climate action now. Supporting industries to reduce polluting emissions and allowing these businesses to thrive are not mutually exclusive concepts. Clean, innovative technologies are central to successfully addressing climate change and to growing a clean global economy. Supporting our economy for future generations means creating jobs and positioning Canadians to take advantage of new opportunities both at home and abroad. For industries to be sustainable, they must prepare for climate-related risks to their operations, such as extreme weather events. The Canadian Centre for Climate Services is a key example of federal support to understand and prepare for climate impacts.
How does the electrification of our fleets tie in to the emissions reduction plan and what are the biggest challenges in achieving your goals?
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Within the context of sustainable development, what are some of the biggest challenges faced by Canada’s agricultural sector?
P H OTO BY Z BY N EK B U R I VA L O N U N S P L AS H
Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector is recognized as a supplier of safe, sustainable, high-quality, and affordable products for Canadians and a growing global population. It manages to do so while balancing a number of challenges including market expectations, labour shortages, and extreme weather events. Our government is helping producers tackle these challenges by providing $550 million to help farmers reduce emissions, store carbon in healthy soil, and maintain resilience to droughts and other climate-related events. Producers also have access to a suite of business risk management programs. For example, in response to last year’s historic drought and devastating floods, our government worked with provinces to deliver over $1 billion under AgriRecovery and Disaster Financial Assistance to help impacted producers. In addition, the Government of Canada, in partnership with provinces and territories, employers, unions, and workers, is developing a sector-specific Agricultural Labour Strategy to address persistent and chronic labour shortages in farming and food processing in the short and long term.
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What role does clean technology have in driving the transition to sustainable agriculture? Canada's hard-working farmers and
Transportation accounts for 25 percent of total emissions in Canada. To transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), we're investing in charging infrastructure and consumer awareness, helping the auto industry re-tool, and providing cash incentives for consumers, as well as tax incentives for businesses. Over 125,000 Canadians and businesses have taken advantage of the federal incentive to purchase a ZEV. Charging stations are needed across Canada.
Our government has helped to address this key barrier with over $280 million in investments resulting in more than 25,200 new chargers. This means you could drive from St. John’s, Nfld., to Victoria, BC, on electricity! We committed to developing a regulated sales mandate requiring at least 50 percent of all new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030, and 100 percent by 2035. Vehicles stay on the road for up to 15 years, so meeting this target is necessary to reach net-zero.
Within the context of protecting our biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, what makes nature conservation such a critical tool at our disposal, and how are you accelerating its impact in your overall policy strategy? Nature is vital to Canada’s efforts in fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity and species at risk, and rebuilding a strong, sustainable economy. For example, resilient wetlands are very important for migratory birds, species at risk, and other wildlife. They also help manage floods and prevent coastline erosion and damage from rising water levels. To protect the places we love most, we invested an additional $2.3 billion over five years to reach our goal of conserving 25 percent of our lands and oceans by 2025. Together, we're helping protect species at risk, conserve lands and waters, and monitor climate change, informed by Indigenous knowledge and science.
Q&A
ranchers have a solid track record of using innovation and new technologies to preserve and protect the natural resources on which they depend. Our government has invested $165 million in the Agricultural Clean Technology Program, which supports the purchase and installation of commercially-available clean technologies and processes. Additional investments to help farmers adapt to changing climate conditions and boost their long-term competitiveness while cutting emissions include the $185 million Agricultural Climate Solutions — Living Labs initiative and the $200 million On-Farm Climate Action Fund.
How is the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food growing the sustainable agriculture ecosystem to improve environmental and food security outcomes? The Government of Canada’s goal of helping Canada become a world leader in sustainable agriculture is central to the vision for the next agricultural policy framework. Priorities on environment, science, and sector capacity and growth will help Canada rise to the climate change challenge, expand new markets and trade, meet consumer expectations, and help feed Canadians and a growing global population. Through the Food Policy for Canada, our government is supporting sustainable community-based solutions to increase access to healthy and local food, strengthen northern and Indigenous food systems, and reduce food loss and waste, allowing Canada to move towards a more resilient and efficient food system that contributes to long-term food security.
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
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