Question Period Note: Energy Star Certification Program

There is increasing opposition to a commitment in the mandate letter of the Minister of Natural Resources to make the Energy Star Certification mandatory, particularly from appliance manufacturers.
The December 2019 mandate letter instructs the Minister to make Energy Star certification mandatory for all new home appliances starting in 2022.

• Improving energy efficiency helps us reach our climate goals while saving Canadians money and keeping our industries competitive
• This includes improving the efficiency of major appliances Canadians use in their daily lives.
• Currently, there are more than 80 types of products eligible for ENERGY STAR certification in Canada, including home appliances.
• We want more Canadians to benefit from lower energy bills associated with high efficiency ENERGY STAR appliances.
• We have launched an open, transparent, and consultative regulatory process to consider raising the minimum energy efficiency standards in Canada to deliver on that.
If pressed:
• The International Energy Agency estimates that we can get between one-third and one-half of the way to our Paris goals just by improving how we use energy in our homes and businesses.
• In 2020 alone, ENERGY STAR-certified products saved enough energy to power over 392,000 homes for a year — the equivalent of removing about 825,000 cars from the road.
If pressed on certification in Canada and the United States:
• Regulatory amendments have not yet been introduced. When they are, stakeholders will have opportunities to provide comments, and these comments will be considered before finalizing regulations.
• Given our integrated market, we look forward to continued cooperation with the United States on regulatory initiatives to drive higher energy efficiency in the products we use every day in our homes and businesses.

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