A few wildlife and land experts have expressed their belief that Indigenous people’s spiritual relationship with wildlife habitats is vital to preserving ecosystems for a healthy environment.
A few wildlife and land experts have expressed their belief that Indigenous people’s spiritual relationship with wildlife habitats is vital to preserving ecosystems for a healthy environment.
Canadian leaders are moving to direct more resources toward protecting and managing the nation’s water. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the first step, pledging to spend $420 million Canadian dollars a year over the next decade to improve water quality in the Great Lakes. That equals about $306 million US dollars. The March 24 announcement followed a meeting in Ottawa with President Joe Biden. Members of Congress from Great Lakes states had asked the president to discuss Great Lakes water funding during the meeting.
Un changement majeur dans la politique de gestion de l’eau au niveau national est accueilli avec un optimisme prudent par les responsables de la gestion de l’eau. L’inauguration de la nouvelle Agence canadienne de l’eau (ACE), dont le siège social sera à Winnipeg, a été révélée lors de la publication du budget fédéral la semaine dernière. Le budget 2023-2024 propose de fournir 85,1 millions de dollars sur cinq ans, avec 21 millions de dollars par la suite pour soutenir la création de l’agence.
With the unveiling of the 2023 federal budget on Tuesday, the federal government has chosen Winnipeg to become the future headquarters of the new Canada Water Agency.
Le budget fédéral de 2023-2024 prévoit qu’une nouvelle Agence nationale de l’eau soit basée à Winnipeg. La création de cette nouvelle agence fédérale fera l’objet d’un projet de loi d’ici la fin de l’année.
Winnipeg stands to gain hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in federal investments after being chosen as the site of the new Canada Water Agency. Plans for the federal agency, one of the few not based in Ottawa, were unveiled in the Liberal government’s budget Tuesday.
Winnipeg stands to gain hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in federal investments after being chosen as the site of the new Canada Water Agency. Plans for the federal agency, one of the few not based in Ottawa, were unveiled in the Liberal government’s budget Tuesday.
The 2023 federal budget calls for a new national water agency to be based in Winnipeg, provided Justin Trudeau's Liberal government remains in power long enough to see it established in the Manitoba capital.
The Liberals unveiled the federal budget 2023 on March 28, promising tens of billions of dollars to speed the energy transition. But many industry leaders said they were impressed by something other than the size of the financial commitments. What caught their attention was an apparent effort to move policies announced long ago closer to implementation.
Today’s 2023 federal budget is a massive step forward for Canada’s economy and environment, with billions announced for the clean energy transition and nearly CAD 800 million for freshwater protection. IISD also welcomes the confirmation of CAD 1.6 billion previously announced for the implementation of Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy.
The freshwater funding will be critical in establishing the Canada Water Agency—to be headquartered in Winnipeg, MB—while supporting research and restoration of the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, and other freshwater bodies across the country.
IISD also welcomes the commitment to modernization of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, allowing for recovery and rehabilitation efforts to be prioritized as climate change accelerates the frequency and intensity of natural disasters.
“The funding commitments in this budget for clean electricity and fresh water are unprecedented,” says IISD President and CEO, Richard Florizone. “Taken together with support for climate adaptation, this puts Canada on strong footing in the global race to net-zero while protecting the health of its people and the planet for generations to come.”
The United States’ Inflation Reduction Act underlined the need for Canada to boost climate investments to compete successfully in the global net-zero economy, and today’s budget shows Canada is starting to step up. Among other measures, the budget announced new clean energy investment tax credits (ITCs) and added CAD 3 billion in direct clean electricity spending.
IISD applauds the government for attaching labour conditions to ITCs to ensure workers are protected and for setting conditionalities to ensure the clean electricity ITCs align with a net-zero grid by 2035. The federal government also made an important commitment to advance carbon contracts for difference that would guarantee a future carbon price.
To truly make an impact going forward, today’s historic progress needs to be bolstered by safeguards against continued fossil fuel support, scaled-up investments on just transition and Indigenous inclusion, and robust regulations, including the oil and gas emissions cap and Clean Electricity Regulation.
Several measures also leave the door open to fund carbon capture and storage (CCS) for oil and gas, including eligibility of abated natural gas under the clean electricity ITC, and an additional CAD 520 million for the CCS investment tax credit. Continued financial support for oil and gas, even if it supports companies’ efforts to cut emissions, detracts from investments in proven renewable energy solutions. If provided, such support could undermine Canada’s commitment to end inefficient fossil fuel subsidies this year. Notably, the budget did not announce the phase-out of existing tax subsidies for fossil fuels.
As last week’s landmark IPCC Synthesis report laid bare, governments’ have so far failed to address the root cause of climate change. Production of fossil fuels must sharply decline in order to limit warming to 1.5°C without over-relying on risky carbon dioxide removal technologies
To meet the moment, all public funds need robust climate and equity conditions, which should integrate recommendations from the High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities. There also remains a need to increase funding for equitable climate solutions such as public transportation and energy efficiency improvements for low-income Canadians.
“Amidst recent transformative climate investments in the US and the EU, Canada has taken important steps forward in this budget to scale up support for clean energy,” says Vanessa Corkal, Senior Policy Advisor, Canada Energy Transitions, at IISD. “But if loopholes for ongoing fossil fuel support are not closed, this progress will continue to be stunted, with proven, readily available solutions facing a disadvantage.”
Experts estimate that Canada needs to spend approximately 2% of GDP on climate investments each year in order to remain globally competitive and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. While much more will be needed in the coming years, this budget takes a significant step in the right direction.