Canada appears to be falling short of its legally binding climate target, as indicated by new data released by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The department’s projections on greenhouse gas emissions play a crucial role in determining the country’s progress towards meeting its climate objectives.
According to the latest report, Canada is projected to achieve only half of its 2030 climate goal, which aims for a 40 to 45 per cent reduction below 2005 levels. With the current climate initiatives in place, Canada is expected to reduce emissions by 21 per cent by the end of the decade. Implementing additional climate policies could potentially increase this reduction to 28 per cent, the report suggests.
This revelation follows a recent warning from a prominent climate think-tank in Canada, which similarly concluded that the country would not reach its 2030 target. A forecast by the Canadian Climate Institute in September estimated a reduction of 20 to 25 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
In response to the report, the institute emphasized the urgent need for immediate policy actions, stating that the country is significantly off course. Prime Minister Mark Carney had hinted at these developments in year-end interviews, including discussions with CBC’s chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
The recent Environment Canada update, the first under Carney’s leadership, highlighted significant changes in Canada’s climate strategy. These changes included the removal of key elements such as the consumer carbon tax, a pause on the electric vehicle mandate, support for additional LNG exports, and potential backing for a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast.
As a consequence, the report indicates a regression compared to previous years. Under Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, Canada was on a path to reducing emissions by 34 per cent below 2005 levels.
The report’s release coincides with the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a pivotal international pact aimed at curbing global temperature rise. Even marginal increases in global temperatures, as highlighted by climate scientists, can exacerbate severe climate events like heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and floods witnessed in Abbotsford, B.C., in recent days.