Canada will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 45 to 50 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035, the federal government announced today, slightly ahead of current targets but falling short of the goals of a major climate expert group. suggested. Recommended to the government.
More simply, Canada needs to reduce its carbon emissions by at least 41% over the next 10 years. The new 2035 milestone will be followed by a multi-year consultation process to develop a plan to reach the goal, which will guide climate policy over the next decade.
“We’ve chosen a goal that we think is ambitious but achievable. I want Canada to be as ambitious as possible, but the federal government can’t achieve it alone,” said Stephen Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Ta.
“If we can work constructively with provinces across the country, Canada can do more, faster.”
canadian climate law Governments are required to set new targets every five years, which is also part of the country’s obligations under the United Nations treaty that guides international efforts to combat climate change.
The ruling Liberal Party passed the landmark Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act in 2021, requiring the government to publish its goals and plans to achieve them in order to legislate Canada’s climate plan. The same law also established the Net Zero Advisory Council, an independent expert group to advise the government on emissions targets and how best to achieve their reductions.
Ottawa wants to strengthen the province.
Earlier this year, these experts recommended that Canada reduce emissions by 50 to 55 per cent below 2005 levels by 2035. The new targets announced by the government are less ambitious.
Mr Guilbeault said the department’s internal analysis showed emissions reductions of more than 50 per cent were possible but would not be possible without cooperation from the provinces, adding that the Liberal Party had been quiet in recent years. It is said that they are having difficulty winning over the state chief minister.
“Let’s be honest with each other: Some states refuse to act on climate change. [to] We even recognize that climate change is a problem,” Guilbeault said.
“I hope that in the next few years this situation changes and we’re in a different space. But right now, this is the political environment.”
Although major emitters such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario are challenging federal climate action, particularly carbon pricing, in court, carbon pricing systems remain in place and are being implemented across the country. are.
Alberta is currently working on be against Ottawa is proposing caps on emissions from the oil and gas sector, a major and growing source.
Finding the right balance while setting goals
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement to fight climate change, countries are required to step up their climate efforts every five years in the form of new targets called nationally determined contributions. The system is designed to put peer pressure on countries to increase their climate ambitions, and those that don’t improve their targets risk looking like they’re falling behind.
Canada’s previous target, announced in 2021, aimed to reduce emissions by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The new 2035 target would see Canada join countries such as the United Kingdom and Brazil, which announced new targets several weeks ago.
Anna Kandus, director of the Canadian Climate Institute’s 440 Megatonne Initiative, a data-driven project that tracks the evolution of climate change, says goal-setting is a trade-off, and when setting more ambitious goals, says there are pros and cons.
Less ambitious, more achievable targets could run the risk of “taking action longer and potentially delaying investment in the low-carbon transition.” However, aiming for deeper emissions cuts “presents potential challenges for economies and households, and may also be more difficult to achieve through policy.”
“I think too often we take a pass-or-fail approach when thinking about targets, when in fact what matters most is continued deep emissions reductions towards 2050. ,” Kandus said.
“I encourage people to think of these as important indicators along the way, important milestones that drive progress…and think that if we can get closer to those goals, it’s still a success.” Masu.”
