Advocacy

Bill C-234

Bill C-234, An Act to Amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, seeks to expand the definition of eligible farm machinery and amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. It will provide much-needed economic relief to farmers and ranchers for critical farming practices with no viable fuel alternative, freeing up the working capital needed to implement environmental innovations on farms.

The on-farm practices included in Bill C-234 are essential to food production. They include grain drying, heating and cooling livestock barns and greenhouses, feed preparation and steam flaking, and irrigation.

Ninety-seven per cent of Canadian farms are family-run. Canadian grain farmers have a storied tradition of stewarding their lands for generations to come.

  • Providing $135 billion to our GDP
  • Responsible for 1 in 9 jobs
  • Stewards of 159 million acres of land

With an abundance of water and arable land, Canada is one of the world’s top five exporters of agriculture and agri-food products. Canadian grain farmers provide meaningful climate solutions while driving our economy and producing safe and healthy food.

Supplemental Information

Status

Currently, farmers pay a carbon price for utilizing natural gas and propane for essential farming activities such as grain drying, irrigating their land, and heating or cooling barns. With no viable alternatives, pricing these activities does not provide an adequate signal to lower emissions from these energy sources.

January 29, 2024 – Bill C-234 was amended by the Senate, removing the heating and cooling of barns and growing structures from the bill, as well as shortening the sunset clause to three years. The Bill was sent back to the House of Commons for review.