Canada Drives Innovative Technology to Reduce Emissions From Commercial Transportation Fleets Français
Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, on behalf of the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced more than $21 million for nine research, development and demonstration projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Canada's transportation sector.
The cutting-edge technology in these projects aim to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for businesses by improving system efficiency, making it easier to switch to zero-emissions vehicles and addressing technical and market barriers for medium- to heavy-duty vehicles that have low or zero emissions.
These projects are funded through Natural Resources Canada's Energy Innovation Program On-road Transportation Decarbonization call for proposals, which targets the most impactful technologies to maximize economic and environmental outcomes.
Minister Solomon also announced a $4.97-million investment for the City of Toronto to transition 60 of its waste-collection vehicles to operate with a hybrid electric-compressed natural gas system. This innovative conversion drastically reduces emissions, fuel consumption and operational noise without disrupting the vehicle's performance.
This project is funded under the Green Freight Program fleet modernization stream, which funds repowering existing vehicles, purchasing low-carbon alternative-fuel vehicles and implementing logistical best practices that make the transportation industry more efficient.
Quotes
"We are taking bold steps to make Canada an energy superpower. Through these projects, Canadian innovators are creating and commercializing the emerging technologies we need for clean, sustainable transportation for our future. We're investing in Canadian ideas to accelerate emissions reductions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which strengthens our supply chains and energy independence. We're also delivering practical, on-the-ground solutions as we drive the transition to zero-emissions fleets in Canada's largest city, Toronto."
The Honourable Tim Hodgson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
"With today's announcement, we're not just investing in technology — we're powering a new era of smarter, more-sustainable transportation for Toronto. Sixty municipal waste trucks are becoming testaments to innovation: quieter on our streets, lighter on fuel, lower on emissions. We're enabling homegrown breakthroughs — right here in the GTA and southwestern Ontario — that are driving electric vehicle performance, safety and reliability in uniquely Canadian conditions. From bustling city routes to subzero winters, this is how we move our cities, and our country, forward."
The Honourable Evan Solomon
Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation
"It's an exciting time to take advantage of technologies that can reduce emissions and bring our fleet of vehicles into the future. We thank the Government of Canada for its partnership as Toronto continues to find ways to make our city greener, while maximizing the economic benefits of this type of technology."
Her Worship Olivia Chow,
Mayor of the City of Toronto
Quick Facts
The Energy Innovation Program (EIP) advances clean energy technologies that will help Canada maintain a competitive, reliable and affordable energy system while transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
Transportation accounts for about a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.
The Green Freight Program helps fleets reduce fuel costs and emissions through vehicle repowering, the purchase of low-carbon alternative fuel vehicles and the implementation of logistical best practices to improve fuel efficiency.
Energy Innovation Program – On-road Transportation Decarbonization Call for Proposals
Green Freight Program
Funding is available for fleet energy assessments and truck/trailer equipment retrofits
Follow Natural Resources Canada on LinkedIn.
SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump pushed tariffs on Canada to 35 per cent, but a CUSMA carveout creates a shield
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on Canada to a staggering 35 per cent but a critical carveout is likely to shield most goods from the devastating duties. The White House has said the tariffs won't be applied to goods that are compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, also known as CUSMA. Here's what that means for Canadian companies: What is CUSMA compliance? CUSMA was negotiated during the first Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Companies can claim preferential treatment under CUSMA if they meet its rules of origin. While it is different depending on the product, generally it requires a specific amount of the goods be made of products or with labour originating from Canada, Mexico or the United States. About 80 to 90 per cent of Canadian goods might be able to comply with CUSMA's rules of origin, said Michael Dobner, the national leader of economics and policy practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada. Not all exporters have filed the necessary paperwork to avoid the duties. There's been an increase in businesses claiming preferential treatment under CUSMA but it's not clear exactly how much of Canadian exports are currently compliant. Are any industries more at risk? Dobner said there's no specific industry that he expects to be hit the hardest. Certain companies may not be able to source input materials from North America to make their product. That means they would not be able to apply for preferential treatment under CUSMA and will face the 35 per cent tariff. But Dobner said 'it's the minority of the exports of Canada to the U.S.' What's the impact on small and medium-sized businesses? Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Small and medium-sized businesses may have not applied for CUSMA preferential status before Trump's tariffs because the process can be burdensome for enterprises of that size. Some small and medium-sized businesses might not meet CUSMA rules of origin requirements and don't have the financial flexibility to change their inputs to North American products. Dan Kelly, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said many of these businesses were absorbing some or all of the costs associated with Trump's tariffs under the assumption that there would a resolution coming. Kelly said some small and medium-sized businesses facing the 35 per cent tariff may have to stop selling into the United States. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
China's fiery baijiu spirit evolves to attract younger drinkers
BEIJING (AP) — The centuries-old fiery Chinese spirit baijiu, long associated with business dinners, is being reshaped to appeal to younger generations as its makers adapt to changing times. Mostly distilled from sorghum, the clear but pungent liquor contains as much as 60% alcohol. It's the usual choice for toasts of 'gan bei,' the Chinese expression for bottoms up, and raucous drinking games. 'If you like to drink spirits and you've never had baijiu, it's kind of like eating noodles but you've never had spaghetti,' said Jim Boyce, a Canadian writer and wine expert who founded World Baijiu Day a decade ago. The annual event aims to promote the traditional liquor, which is far less known internationally than whiskey or vodka. Moutai, a kind of baijiu made in mountainous Guizhou province in southwestern China, is known as the country's 'national liquor.' Perhaps its biggest endorsement came in 1974, when U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger banqueted with Deng Xiaoping, who would later become China's top leader. 'I think if we drink enough Moutai, we can solve anything,' Kissinger said. 'Then, when I return to China, we must take steps to increase our production of it,' Deng replied, according to an archived document from the U.S. State Department's Office of the Historian. Price fluctuations of Feitian Moutai, the liquor's most famous brand, serve as a barometer for China's baijiu market. This year, its price has dropped by 36% after four consecutive years of decline, according a report by the China Alcoholic Drinks Association. The report forecast China's baijiu production will likely fall for the eighth straight year in 2025. Baijiu consumption has dropped as people spend more cautiously, cutting back on banquets and drinking due to a weaker economy. Perennial anti-corruption campaigns by the ruling Communist Party targeting lavish official dinners have taken a harsh toll. In May, the party issued new rules banning cigarettes and alcohol during work meals. China's drinking culture is evolving, with younger people keen to protect their health and less inclined to overindulge or be bound by rigid social conventions. Faced with far more choices, they might instead opt for whiskey, wine or non-alcoholic alternatives. 'There is an old saying in China: 'No banquet is complete without alcohol.' It means in the past, without alcohol there is no social lubricant,' 30-year-old Chi Bo said while having cocktails with friends in Beijing's chic Sanlitun area. 'People no longer want to drink alcohol or tend to drink less but they can still sit together and even discuss serious affairs,' Chi said. 'Most of the people don't want to drink alcohol unless they have to.' Baijiu makers are responding with creative innovations like baijiu-flavored ice cream. Kweichou Moutai partnered with China's Luckin' Coffee last year to introduce a Moutai-flavored latte that reportedly sells 5 million cups a day across China. Bartenders also are designing cocktails using a baijiu base. 'There are so many choices right now,' Boyce said. 'It's just about fighting for attention in terms of choice.' Jiangxiaobai, a newer brand made in southwestern China's Chongqing, has targeted young consumers from the beginning. It offers fruit-infused baijiu with an alcohol content below 10%, packaged in smaller, more affordable bottles adorned with philosophical or sentimental phrases meant to resonate with Chinese youth such as, 'Unspoken words. In my eyes, in drafts, in dreams, or downed in a drink.' 'Our promotion of products combines the culture and lifestyle young people advocate,' Jiangxiaobai marketing director Fan Li said. 'From our products to our branding, it's a process of embracing the younger generation.' Shirley Huang, out with friends on a Friday night in Sanlitun, said she had never touched baijiu at age 27, preferring cocktails. But that night, something new on the menu caught her attention: a baijiu-based cocktail. 'Baijiu is quietly making its way into our lives. We just haven't noticed,' she said 'It may not appear as itself, but it reemerges in new forms.' ___ Associated Press video producers Olivia Zhang and Wayne Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.
Montreal Gazette
5 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Trump signs executive order pushing tariffs on Canada to 35%
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pushing tariffs on Canada to 35 per cent beginning on Friday, following through on a threat to raise duties if Ottawa didn't make a trade deal. The White House confirmed the tariffs would not hit goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, commonly known as CUSMA. A fact sheet from the White House said Canada 'failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl' and also pointed to Ottawa's implementation of retaliatory tariffs. Canadian officials had been tempering expectations that a trade deal would materialize ahead of Trump's deadline and Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he'll only make an agreement that is good for Canada. Trump said earlier Thursday he had not 'spoken to Canada' but did reference that 'he's called' — suggesting Carney may have reached out hours before the 35 per cent tariff was set to hit. The Canadian Press has contacted Carney's office for confirmation but has not yet received a response. Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted on social media that 'Canada shouldn't settle for anything less than the right deal.' He repeated his call for the federal government to respond with a 50 per cent tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum. 'Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground,' Ford said. Trump dampened the prospect of a deal with Canada in a post on social media early Thursday morning that said it would be very hard to make a deal after Carney announced Wednesday that Ottawa intends to recognize a Palestinian state. Trump told reporters at the White House that he 'didn't like that' but that it was 'not a deal-breaker.' When asked about the holdup in Canadian negotiations, Trump said 'they have to pay a fair rate.' The president also misrepresented agricultural duties, complained about Canadian military spending and said Canada has been treating the United States badly for years. While Trump didn't mention fentanyl, the White House fact sheet focused on the drug to justify increasing the tariffs. 'Given Canada's continued failure to arrest traffickers, seize illicit drugs, or coordinate with U.S. law enforcement and Canada's retaliation against the United States for the President's actions to address the unusual and extraordinary threat to America, further presidential action is necessary and appropriate to protect American lives and the national security and foreign policy of the United States,' the White House said. U.S. government data shows a miniscule amount of fentanyl is seized at the border with Canada compared to Mexico. Ottawa responded to Trump's concerns of cross-border trafficking with a $1.3 billion boosted border plan. Ottawa appointed a 'fentanyl czar' and announced a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, and deployed additional helicopters and drones along the border. Trump announced a 90-day extension on trade talks for Mexico Thursday after a phone conversation with President Claudia Sheinbaum. He said it was because the 'complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border.' 'Additionally, Mexico has agreed to immediately terminate its Non Tariff Trade Barriers, of which there were many,' Trump said. In a separate executive order Thursday Trump increased his so-called 'Liberation Day' tariffs on many other nations, with those duties to be implemented in seven days. The order applied to 68 countries, as well as the 27-member European Union, which negotiated its new tariff rate in a deal announced earlier in the week. Countries that were not listed would face a baseline 10 per cent tariff. While Trump continued to claim in posts on social media that tariffs are making 'America GREAT & RICH Again,' the president's main tool for realigning global trade faced some sharp questions from federal appellate judges in court earlier Thursday. The Trump administration's lawyer argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that there are still checks and balances on the president's powers and he has the authority to use a national security statute to impose duties — despite the fact that the word 'tariff' is found nowhere in the International Economic Emergency Powers Act of 1977. The act, usually referred to by the acronym IEEPA, gives the U.S. president authority to control economic transactions after declaring an emergency. No previous president had ever used it for tariffs and the U.S. Constitution reserves power over taxes and tariffs for Congress. Members of the 11-judge panel on Thursday repeatedly questioned the Trump's administration's justifications for using IEEPA to implement the so-called 'Liberation Day' and fentanyl-related tariffs 'If the president says there's a problem with our military readiness and he puts a 20 per cent tax on coffee, that doesn't seem to necessarily deal with (it)' said Chief Circuit Judge Kimberly Moore. No decision was issued from the bench Thursday and a White House spokesperson has said the case is expected to go before the Supreme Court.
