Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to appear before this committee today. I am very pleased to be joined by colleagues from the Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

To help frame this discussion, I'd like to begin by speaking about my role.

In August 2022, I was appointed by the Prime Minister to represent Canada as climate change ambassador. I am one of six climate envoys in the G7. In addition, many of our like-minded partners have appointed climate change ambassadors, including Denmark, the European Union and the Republic of Korea.

I work internationally to advance and defend our interests on climate change and to provide advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I speak about the devastating impacts of climate change, demonstrating that Canada is not immune to its devastating impacts on health and security, but I also speak about the economic costs associated with extreme weather events, natural disasters and rising temperatures. I also speak about the significant investments and work that Canada is doing to address climate change and the economic opportunities that accompany a clean growth agenda.

To advance my mandate, I work in collaboration with several government departments, but most notably ECCC, Global Affairs and our embassies and representatives abroad. When it comes to reducing GHG emissions, my message is clear: Canada is taking action at home and has many solutions to offer.

I'd like to give you some examples of the activities that I undertake.

I am a champion of the global methane pledge, which is an initiative launched by the U.S. and the EU with the goal of reducing global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. As champion, I look for key opportunities to highlight Canada's leadership in methane reduction. I promote the federal government's strategy and I point to the significant expertise we have on offer, including companies that specialize in methane detection and reduction technologies.

I continue to advocate coal phase-out in the energy sector, sharing Canada's experience in a just transition, including in the Powering Past Coal Alliance.

I've been tasked with developing and advancing the global carbon pricing challenge, which was launched by the Prime Minister in 2021. Due to my efforts, there are now 18 countries, including the EU, that have joined this initiative.

When it comes to those hard-to-abate sectors, Canada co-chairs the cement and concrete breakthrough initiative, which brings governments and the private sector together to accelerate investments in decarbonization, given the demand for cleaner solutions. On several occasions, I have represented Canada to highlight how these partnerships are helping to advance critical abatement technology.

Canada also has an important stake in the transition to clean energy that is currently taking place. We have strategies in place, such as the management of carbon, hydrogen, and critical minerals, to seize the economic opportunities as countries move toward cleaner energy solutions and greater energy security. Again, I'm looking for opportunities for Canada to be invited to participate in high-level international discussions on these important topics.

My experience has shown that there's a genuine interest in what our country is doing to fight climate change. It's not just about what we're doing, but how we're rolling it out and how we're working across society, with provinces and territories and indigenous peoples, to develop and implement our climate change plans.

All of this activity helps us to push greater ambition forward internationally.

At UN climate conferences, or climate COPs, the momentum we achieve throughout the year plays out in key multilateral settings, so much so that at COP28 in Dubai last year, over 190 countries were able to agree to key mitigation commitments to inform our next climate targets and plans, including methane reduction, coal phase-down and the transition away from fossil fuels in the energy sector.

On the topic of climate COPs, I have just returned from Baku, Azerbaijan, at COP29, where I served as head of delegation for Canada when the minister was not able to be there.

Among my activities, I played a key role in helping to conclude difficult climate negotiations, including establishing a new collective goal of $300 billion per year by 2035 for developing countries. Climate finance to support developing countries continues to be a key part of Canada's approach to addressing climate change. In my role, I highlight our priority areas of focus and the initiatives we are advancing with our current contribution of $5.3 billion over five years. Since 2017, Canada's climate finance reduced or avoided over 230 megatonnes of GHG emissions and provided 10.5 million people with increased resilience to climate change. Our climate finance helps build trust among nations as we work together to tackle this global challenge.

No one country can address climate change on its own. That's why, in my role, I seek to build partnerships and opportunities for co-operation. I help advance Canadian solutions and underscore the economic opportunities that can be derived from climate action and green transitions. This work is not easy, but it's critical in order to drive global action while demonstrating Canadian innovation and leadership.

I am now available to take your questions.

Thank you.