Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Today, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin announced the next steps Canada will take to advance its Regulated Zero-Emissions Vehicle Sales Target – a new requirement for automakers to ramp up availability of electric vehicles across Canada. Environmental Defence, Équiterre, Ecology Action Centre and the David Suzuki Foundation are responding with a joint statement welcoming the regulations as a strong step towards reducing emissions and the cost of living for Canadians. 

Quotes

“This regulation will help Canadians escape high gas prices by getting behind the wheel of an affordable electric car. Requiring automakers to meet sales targets will make them break ZEVs out of the luxury market and go mainstream with more affordable, mass market models. Our recent report highlighted how a strong credit system would result in ZEV prices declining by 20 per cent for the average Canadian consumer. While automakers talk a good game about the electric transition, we know that this is the only policy strong enough to break manufacturers’ gasoline vehicle production bias and ensure we meet our sales targets. Left to their own devices, they would have kept us in gas guzzlers or on a waiting list for a luxury electric car.” Said Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager, Environmental Defence

“The Ecology Action Centre applauds the federal government’s efforts to increase the total national supply of electric vehicles in Canada. While provincially regulated supply targets in BC and Quebec have served to bolster EV sales in those provinces, they have not increased the overall national supply of electric vehicles and have exacerbated supply shortages and wait times in the rest of the country. Strong federal regulation is the only solution to this problem, and specific measures aimed at ensuring supply equity will be needed in order to ensure that affordable, clean cars are available across the country.” Said Thomas Arnason McNeil, Climate Policy Coordinator for Sustainable Transportation, Ecology Action Centre

“Canadians across the country are eager to get their hands on electric vehicles, and this long-awaited regulation will help them purchase one more quickly and at a more affordable cost. With a credit system that is stringent enough, this zero-emission vehicle standard will act as a comprehensive policy and help Canada catch up with leading jurisdictions in transport electrification. The auto industry will finally have to stop delaying the transition to low-carbon transportation, as well as promoting large, fuel-inefficient vehicles, which are feeding the climate crisis.” Said Andréanne Brazeau, Mobility Policy Analyst, Équiterre

“The federal government’s announcement today of a regulated sales requirement for zero emission vehicles promises to bring an end to auto industry profiteering from selling gas guzzlers that worsen climate, pollute our air and sicken our kids. Instead, we’ll benefit by saying goodbye to tailpipe emissions and from a focus on producing more affordable EVs. Thanks to Canada’s relatively clean electricity and the much greater energy efficiency of EVs, the operating costs for the average vehicle owner will also be lower. We need the government to commit to finalizing this reg in the next six months. The sooner it’s on the books, the better.” Said Tom Green, Senior Climate Policy Adviser, David Suzuki Foundation

Backgrounder:

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

Since 1993, Équiterre has been helping to find solutions, transform social norms and encourage ambitious public policies through research, support, education, mobilization and awareness building initiatives. This progress is helping to establish new principles for how we feed ourselves, how we get around and how we produce and consume, that are designed for our communities, respectful of our ecosystems, in line with social justice and of course, low in carbon.

The Ecology Action Centre is a member-based environmental charity in Miꞌkmaꞌki/Nova Scotia taking leadership on critical issues ranging from biodiversity protection to climate change to environmental justice. The EAC strives to catalyze change through policy advocacy, community development and acts as a watch-dog for the environment. It takes a holistic approach to the environment and our economy to create a just and sustainable society. 

Founded in 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation is a national, bilingual non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, DSF works to conserve and protect the natural environment, and helps create a sustainable Canada.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Alex Ross, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca 

Brendan Glauser, David Suzuki Foundation, Communications Director, bglauser@davidsuzuki.org,

Anthony Côté Leduc, Media Relations, Équiterre acoteleduc@equiterre.org

Thomas Arnason McNeil, Climate Policy Coordinator for Sustainable Transportation, Ecology Action Centre, thomas.arnasonmcneil@ecologyaction.ca