Canada’s Auditor General has been highly critical of the federal government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. independent report It was released on Tuesday.
This audit will help Agriculture, Agricultural and Food Canada (AAFC) develop, implement, and then track plans for how the agricultural sector will contribute to Canada’s 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas reduction commitments. It turned out that this was not possible. The report cites a number of shortcomings, including a lack of clear goals, insufficient data collection, program delays, and incomplete verification and monitoring.
The review specifically considered the developments and outcomes of three programs launched in 2021: the Living Labs Programme, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), and the Agricultural Clean Technologies Programme. In total, more than $1.5 billion in federal funding has been allocated to these three programs. The audit also recognized AAFC’s efforts to meet the government’s fertilizer and methane emission reduction targets.
This report provides new details about AAFC’s implementation of these programs and policies and includes the following shortcomings and conclusions.
– The Department did not have a strategy to achieve the expected contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
– No climate change mitigation strategy for the agricultural sector.
– The program’s emission reduction contribution to fertilizer and methane targets has not been determined.
– Results in this sector were limited and results were poorly measured.
– Achieved results were limited by delays in program implementation.
– Performance targets for climate change mitigation programs are missing or not finalized.
– Measuring, verifying, and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions reductions with unreliable and incomplete results.
Among the new information is that the AAFC has internally estimated emissions reductions for each program, and audits show an estimated total reduction of 11.2 million tons of CO2 equivalent by 2023. This information was not made public by the department. “In our view, making this information available to the public would provide the agriculture sector with more transparent information to explain federal policy developments and decisions,” the report states. .
The Auditor General also admitted that the ministry did not consult farmers and other stakeholders before setting fertilizer emission reduction targets for 2020. “One consequence of this lack of consultation is that some sector stakeholders have interpreted the target as an absolute 30 percent reduction.” 30 percent reduction in emissions through improved fertilizer application techniques However, the report states that the reduction in fertilizer use is significant.
In response to backlash over its fertilizer emissions policy, the ministry announced that it would reach the 30% target by entering into voluntary agreements with fertilizer manufacturers, states, and farmers, but an audit found that as of January 2024, no agreement had been reached. It turns out there isn’t.
In response to the report, Agriculture Secretary Lawrence Macaulay said: “There is no doubt that we need to do more, and more urgently, to help reduce emissions in the agricultural sector.” “…I am pleased to share that work is well underway to implement the recommendations.”
In response to the recommendations of the Auditor-General’s report, the AAFC said it plans to complete a sustainable agriculture strategy by the end of 2024. The department said it is also working to improve the three programs reviewed and review measurement, verification and evaluation. Report program results.
Read the Auditor-General’s report here.
