Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Senator, thank you for your question, and I thank you for your leadership on this topic. The report from Nature Canada to which you refer is welcomed by this government. The government has seen enhanced research of greenhouse gas emissions and welcomes that research. I’m advised that the government will be taking the report of Nature Canada into consideration. The government remains committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to look into emission leaks and gaps in order to continuously improve its work.

Senator Galvez: Canada’s failure to accurately report the true climate impact from its logging sector is perpetuating a myth that logging in Canada produces minimal CO₂ emissions when in reality industrial logging emits more carbon than the entire agricultural sector. Will the government review its forest carbon accounting practices in order to put in place more effective practices in advance of its fifth biannual report on climate change to the United Nations in 2022?

Senator Gold: Thank you, senator, for your question. As I mentioned, the government is committed to improving its work to reduce greenhouse emissions, which includes exploring where there may be possible leaks in data and the like. The government is further committed to continuously improving its practices and will ensure quality reporting to international organizations, such as the ones you mentioned.

[Translation]

Hon. Marty Klyne: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. Senator Gold, Budget 2021 highlighted that carbon capture, utilization and storage is an important tool for reducing emissions in high-emitting sectors and that Alberta and Saskatchewan have the greatest near-term potential to become global leaders in this technology. This spring, Deputy Prime Minister Freeland spoke positively about carbon capture at our National Finance Committee. In September, the Senate Prosperity Action Group recommended that the government look at co-investing with venture capital on commercialization opportunities in this area. I saw that Natural Resources Canada received expressions of interest for front-end engineering and design studies for carbon capture facilities earlier this fall. What are the government’s plans for the role of carbon capture, utilization and storage in supporting mission net zero, to what scale and which levels of regions?