Energy, climate and transport policies the focus of a working visit to Canada

Bern, 07.10.2016 - Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard paid an official working visit to Canada this week, during which she held talks with Transport Minister Marc Garneau, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, Innovation Minister Navdeep Singh Bains and Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr, who is also responsible for energy issues. In Montreal and Toronto she held talks with representatives of the respective provincial governments. The head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) and the Prime Minister of Quebec agreed to intensify cooperation in the areas of energy efficiency, building renovation and energy storage. She also used this visit to Canada as an opportunity to visit companies in the energy, cleantech and transport sectors. The objective of the visit was to strengthen cooperation between Switzerland and Canada.

The focus of Federal Councillor Leuthard’s visit to Canada was on the energy, climate and transport policies of both countries. Both Canada and Switzerland are endeavouring to reduce energy consumption, increase energy efficiency, promote the use of renewable energy and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. In Ottawa, the Minister of Natural Resources, Jim Carr, who is also responsible for energy issues, provided Federal Councillor Leuthard with information about Canada’s activities in these areas. The Trudeau government is currently preparing to implement the climate protection objectives at the national level. At the beginning of the week it announced that it will be introducing minimum prices for CO2 emissions in 2018. The aim is to increase theseto 50 Canadian dollars (approximately 37 Swiss francs) by 2022, and it will be up to each province to decide how to implement the new tariffs.

Some provinces already possess instruments such as CO2 taxes and carbon pricing models. Quebec and the US State of California have jointly introduced a market for the trading of emissions certificates, and Ontario is to participate in this market with effect from 2017. The revenue is to be used to promote innovation in green technologies. In his meeting with Federal Councillor Leuthard, the Prime Minister of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, explained how the chosen approach is to be further pursued. During their talks, they also agreed to intensify cooperation in the areas of energy efficiency, building renovation and energy storage. The necessary preparations for this will now be finalised in the near future. Federal Councillor Leuthard also used the visit to Montreal as an opportunity to visit Hydro Québec, one of the world’s largest and most innovative hydropower companies, as well as the editorial offices of “La Presse”, which has successfully completed the changeover from print to digitisation.

In the Canadian capital, Ottawa, in addition to holding talks with Jim Carr, Federal Councillor Leuthard also met with Transport Minister Marc Garneau for discussions focusing on transport safety and the changes in the mobility sector that will result from electrification and digitisation. Both Federal Councillor Leuthard and her Canadian counterpart welcomed the conclusion of the negotiations on the adaptation of the civil aviation agreement between Switzerland and Canada. This means that Swiss and Canadian airlines will now be placed on an equal footing in terms of transport rights and will thus be able to plan their future services more flexibly. 

Federal Councillor Leuthard’s talks with Innovation Minister Bains resulted in an agreement to intensify cooperation in the fields of science, research and innovation. Both countries are characterised by a high degree of innovative capacity and have a variety of leading companies in the energy and cleantech sectors. In June, the Canadian government adopted its “Innovation Agenda”, the aim of which is to promote science, research and innovation. Federal Councillor Leuthard subsequently paid a visit to the Solar House at Carleton University, in which solar energy is being combined with heat storage in order to keep it functional during the harsh winter conditions.

In order to gain an insight into the rapidly developing cleantech industry, the Swiss delegation paid a visit to MaRS, an organisation based in Toronto that specialises in promoting cleantech start-ups. During her visit to Canada’s business capital, Federal Councillor Leuthard also held talks with Ontario’s Climate Minister, Glen Murray, as well as with Transport Minister Steven del Lucas and Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna. Here, too, the discussions focused on energy, climate and transport policies. The issue of electrification of public and private transport that is being promoted in urban areas of Canada was also addressed. The official working visit was concluded with a visit to MetroLinx, Toronto’s transport agency.

During her visit, Federal Councillor Leuthard was accompanied by leading representatives from the business sector and the scientific community, as well as from Swiss Business Hub Canada, which works together with Switzerland Global Enterprise. The members of the delegation learned that new market opportunities for Switzerland’s export industry are opening up in Canada, particularly in the cleantech sector.

The delegation commenced its visit by attending the celebration of the 125th anniversary of ABB in Montreal. In her speech, Federal Councillor Leuthard praised the company’s pioneering spirit, open-mindedness and innovative strength. Canada is Switzerland’s second most important trade partner on the American continent, and Switzerland is among the ten leading investors in Canada.
      

Federal Institute of Technology reaffirms existing cooperation

In his talks with representatives of McGill University and the University of Toronto, Lino Guzzella – President of the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich – confirmed the continuation of the existing cooperation in the field of research, as well as the ongoing student exchange programme. Cooperation between McGill University and the Neuroscience Centre Zurich, which is operated jointly by Zurich University and the Federal Institute of Technology, was initiated in 2010. And the University of Toronto is an important student exchange partner in North America for the Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich.  


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