Speech

Good morning. And thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. My mother used to tell me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I hope our discussion here today will prove—once again—that she was always right.

Based on some of the informal chats I’ve had with some of you already this morning .and based on my understanding of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) agenda, I feel confident in declaring something that frequently terrifies people: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.

Although my focus is on the environment, I don’t think there can be much question this Government has been broadly supportive and respectful of the manufacturers’ and exporters’ agenda.

Most recently, we acted swiftly to end the strike at Canadian Pacific, determined not to let that labor dispute sever a critical Canadian link in the global supply chain. We understood that it wouldn’t take long for any disruption to shutter manufacturing plants in Canada—and in the United States.

In re-tooling the Employment Insurance Program, we are determined to boost efforts to attract and retain skilled workers, reinforcing the jobs and skills‑matching portal CME has developed.

We’ve pushed ahead with free trade negotiations with Japan—the world’s third largest economy and the fourth most important market for Canadian manufacturers. We’ve also engaged with China on several sectoral trade agreements as well, a critically important strategic step forward.

As manufacturers, the only way to thrive in such competitive global markets is to respond quickly to changes. To enable that, the Government has to do its part to allow you—and every other sector—to keep pace and meet those new challenges.

That’s why Environment Canada is working hard to reflect your reality, to modernize and to make our regulations and our processes as efficient as they are effective. All that while conserving our commitment to the highest environmental standards.

I can’t emphasize enough how seriously we, at Environment Canada, take our role as a world-class regulator.

It’s a challenging mandate because, as you all know, circumstances—domestic, continental and international—evolve constantly and rapidly. That means that we have to strictly preserve the integrity of our environmental standards, while ensuring that they remain relevant in every new context.

The bottom line is that we have to become more agile and responsive.

We get that.

We also get that these standards must be framed, developed and enforced in the most transparent possible way. Simply put: clear, straightforward rules of engagement create the confidence that leads to that capital investment that creates Canadian jobs.

Let me repeat that we are becoming more—not less—vigilant, more committed to world class environmental standards through this review and renewal process.

When it comes to environmental oversight, less can be more. And the quantity and complexity of regulation must never be confused with quality.

Apparently, not everyone sees it that way and I admit that I find the stubborn misperceptions about the Government’s motive and intent on this front a bit frustrating.

One of the most glaring examples of this relates to the recent clatter about proposed changes to environmental assessment legislation.

Let me set the record straight and provide you with some of the underlying rationale for recent actions.

Environmental assessment, as you know, is a function that sits right at the nexus of the environment and the economy. It empowers the Government of Canada to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of projects that represent billions of dollars in capital investment.

Given its breadth, complexity and importance, it’s not entirely surprising that the assessment process became increasingly cumbersome and unwieldy over time. Accountability is spread across the federal government—and let’s be honest, that’s seldom a good thing. Inevitably, that has led to inconsistency and delays.

I don’t need to tell any of you that those things are just not good for business: projects face extra costs and uncertainty, investment decisions are deferred and jobs for Canadians are put on hold.

But it’s not good for the environment either. It blurs priorities, diverts limited government resources to a hodgepodge of smaller projects and dilutes enforcement provisions.

And that’s why we’ve pushed forward with a new Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. It’s something that will make environmental reviews more predictable and timely, reduce the duplication between different levels of government, strengthen protection through enhanced enforcement measures and require meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities.

Let me be absolutely clear on another point.

Despite the overall emphasis on federal spending restraint, the budget for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has been protected and, in fact, increased by five per cent in Budget 2012.

As part of this push, it’s also our intention to improve coordination between federal, provincial and territorial governments on environmental assessments to eliminate duplication and save time and money, without compromising the quality of the review.

Given the way that responsibility for environmental management is shared between federal and provincial jurisdictions, avoiding overlap and duplication is a tall order. But we work to achieve it through the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and through federal/provincial Agreements in Principle on such issues as climate change.

Those agreements represent an important precedent.

For example, the Single Window Reporting system—which British Columbia signed in 2010—makes it simpler for industry to report and submit their greenhouse gas emissions data to Environment Canada.

The rule of “one project, one review,” reduces expensive duplication and, if anything, makes that one review even more focused and more stringent.

This is an ideal illustration of the principles I mentioned earlier: becoming a more effective and proactive environmental regulator through critical review, sharp focus and resolute action.

It’s also consistent with some of the other steps we’ve taken in the same direction:

• In 2008, we created the Major Projects Management Office for greater coordination and accountability in resource project reviews;
• In 2009, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we simplified the approval process for infrastructure projects; and
• In 2010, we amended the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to allow assessments to start sooner and to reduce delays and duplication.

We’re using that same practical strategy to frame our domestic strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels by 2020.

With that specific destination in mind, the federal government is using a carefully‑plotted approach to find the best—and most efficient way forward.

That route is an orderly sector-by-sector approach.

It started with the transportation sector, the largest-single-source of greenhouse gas emissions. Along with the United States, we tightened vehicle emission regulations and we also made our gasoline greener with a higher renewable fuel content.

The next sector we addressed is coal-fired electricity generation. It’s a critical one for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and for protecting air quality.

Without question, coal has been a tough slog, in part because electricity generation is something completely unique in each province and territory.

Nonetheless, we’ve made steady progress with our provincial partners and the new standards are on track to be finalized this month and to take effect on July 1, 2015.

Even before coal wraps up, Environment Canada started to lay the foundation for regulated performance standards in other major-emitting industrial sectors, starting with oil and gas.

These steps are particularly important in the context of competitiveness. We have to achieve our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, but we have to calibrate them against the requirements that companies face—or don’t face—in other jurisdictions.

Going forward, the process will be much the same, including extensive consultation with the industry and affected provinces to ensure that the proposed regulations accomplish their objective of reducing greenhouse gases, without curtailing competitiveness or diminishing the case for capital investment.

As for the oil sands—which are a subject of great economic relevance to Canada in general and you in particular—let me tell you this: Environment Canada continues to work closely with both Alberta and the oil sands producers.

We have already launched the implementation phase of a multi-year plan to collect and monitor the data required to shape the standards that will ensure this resource is developed in a sustainable, responsible way.

Our shared objective with Alberta is to keep things as uncomplicated and uncluttered as possible. It helps that we’re entirely united on a single point: ensuring the highest possible environmental standards for oil sands development.

We’ve applied the same strategic scrutiny, that same focus on practical possibility to our international engagement.

We participate fully and ensure that we are always at the table, respectful of our global responsibilities and role in the world community. In fact, I’ll be in Brazil later this month to attend the United Nations conference on sustainable development.

Some of you may remember that 20 years ago, at the Earth Summit in Brazil, the first international climate change accord was struck.

We’ve come a long way since then. Business and financial markets have become more global. Technology has steadily advanced. Governments have come, and gone.

But one thing remains constant: the stewardship of our natural environment, the imperative of balancing its protection while sustaining economic growth and prosperity are more important, more urgent than ever.

As it was 20 years ago, there are no easy answers, no quick solutions.

That said, our determination to get our environmental regulations right and to enforce them with rigor, our commitment to respect and to work in partnership with the private sector, with other governments and non-governmental organizations domestically and internationally, and our establishment of clear goals and strategies, will ultimately ensure our success.

You—and your environmental engagement—are an important component of that. And together, we will be able to ensure that Canada is a leader in sustainable development and growth, today and tomorrow.