Waivers and 2030 Emissions Plan Notice

Summary#

The Canada Gazette published Environment notices that do two things: it lists a set of companies that were granted waivers from some information requirements under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and it sets out how the government will finish Canada’s first 2030 emissions reduction plan under the Canadian Net‑Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The emissions plan will be established by March 29, 2022 and the government opened early consultations (submissions accepted until January 14, 2022).

What it does#

• Announces waivers of some test or data requirements that would normally have to be supplied when a company proposes to import or manufacture a new living organism or a new substance not on Canada’s Domestic Substances List.
  • For new living organisms, the Gazette lists companies (examples include AstraZeneca Canada Inc., CRISPR Therapeutics AG, Spark Therapeutics, Inc., Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc.) and says certain ecological tests (effects on aquatic and terrestrial plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) and antibiotic‑susceptibility testing were waived in specific cases.
  • For new substances, the Gazette lists companies (examples include Brenntag Canada Inc., H.B. Fuller Canada, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., Nouryon Functional Chemicals LLC, Otsuka Canada Pharmaceutical Inc., Ricoh Canada Inc., Water Specialists Technologies, LLC) and identifies types of data waived (for example, ready biodegradation tests, octanol/water partition coefficients, hydrolysis rates, melting/boiling points, vapour pressure, adsorption/desorption screening, molecular‑weight details).
  • The notice notes that waivers are decided case‑by‑case and gives a ballpark: about 450 new‑substance regulatory declarations are submitted each year and about 100 waivers are granted annually (for chemicals, polymers and living organisms).
• Publishes a timetable and consultation plan for Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction plan.
  • The Minister will establish the plan by March 29, 2022 and is running early consultations; written submissions are invited until January 14, 2022.
  • The notice flags specific policy priorities for consultation, including:
    • Mandating zero‑emission sales so that 100% by 2035 (and at least 50% by 2030) of new light‑duty vehicles sold are zero‑emission.
    • Developing heavy‑duty vehicle standards and aiming for 100% by 2040 in selected medium/heavy categories.
    • Capping oil and gas emissions at current levels and reducing them on a pathway to net zero by 2050.
    • Reducing methane emissions — including targeting at least 75% below 2012 levels by 2030 for oil and gas methane — and addressing landfill and agricultural methane.
    • Transitioning to a net‑zero electricity grid by 2035.

Who's affected#

• Companies that applied to import or make new living organisms or chemical substances in Canada. The Gazette lists specific firms that received waivers (see examples above).
• Researchers, industry regulators, environmental and public‑interest groups who track new substances and biosafety information.
• Provincial governments, Indigenous groups, industry associations and Canadians who may want to comment on the 2030 emissions reduction plan. The notice explicitly invites submissions from provinces, Indigenous Peoples, the advisory body and interested people.
• Sectors likely to be affected by the emissions priorities: the automotive industry and car buyers (zero‑emission vehicle rules), heavy‑duty vehicle manufacturers, the oil and gas sector, methane‑emitting industries (landfills, agriculture), and the electricity sector.

Why it matters#

• Waivers can speed up the regulatory process for bringing new organisms or chemicals to market. That may help companies and projects move faster. But it also means that less test data about environmental effects will be publicly required in those specific cases. That matters to communities, scientists and environmental groups who rely on such data to assess risks.
• The 2030 emissions plan timetable and early consultations give people and governments a formal chance to influence Canada’s near‑term climate actions. The priorities signalled (vehicle mandates, methane cuts, electricity decarbonization, oil‑and‑gas caps) suggest real changes that could affect what vehicles are sold, how industry operates, and long‑term energy and job plans across provinces.
• The notices make clear the government wants to balance faster decision‑making and industry concerns with public consultation; if you care about environmental safety or climate policy, these are two places to look and to consider submitting comments by January 14, 2022.