Today, 2050 Resolving to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions , Canada , the neighboring country of the US, Japan And south korea Committed to other net zero , including A growing number of major economies counted themselves. But Canada has a history of not achieving it by setting goals in this direction. Since 1992, Canada has not met any of its climate targets.
This is the news this morning and came when Canada’s Liberal government, a new law, Bil- C12: Canadian net-zero emissions Accountability Act (Canadian Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act), was introduced, which passed 2050 NET Canada Zero will commit to carbon emissions. The law also creates a legal framework for Canada to set national five-year interim targets for emission reductions , with the first goal set for 2030 .
This development is also significant because in the neighboring US of Canada, where Donald Trump ousted America from the Paris Agreement, US President Elect Joe Biden has promised That America 2050 By the time the net will be zero. As well as china By 2060 Till promises to be carbon neutral.
Now though Canada is showing a leadership by aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050 , but the history of Canada It has been about not achieving it by setting goals. Since the early 1990s , Canada has not yet met a single set emission reduction target. At COP21 in Paris, Canada to 30 percent cut in emissions from 2030 to 2005, the level of commitment Plowing – Determined earlier that year by the former Conservative government aim. In the 2019 federal election , the Liberals raise the target Promised , but Canada 2030 target 77 million tons Is to be missed , which would be equivalent to emissions from 16 million passenger cars in a year .
Canadian climate experts welcomed the new law , which marked the first time a Canadian government has taken steps to hold current and future governments accountable for meeting emission reduction targets. However , the law is missing some key elements such as measures to ensure that the government first shows ambitious action rather than requiring action in several years’ time. For example , the law does not require setting a target for 2025 . It focuses more on the government’s duty to report on tasks or progress rather than the duty to achieve the goal.
Before passing , the law will have a second reading in the House of Commons, then it will appear before a committee , most likely it will be the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development) , and then it The Senate will go , and it can be amended at either of the two places. Canadian climate experts will seek reforms to the bill , but there has been an unfortunate trend over the last five years that environmental bills weaken during the legislative process. Because the Liberal government is currently a minority , the Liberals will require the support of at least one NDP ( NDP) or block to pass legislation through the House .
Other countries including New Zealand , Denmark and the United Kingdom Has laws that make short-term and long-term (short- and long-term) goals binding. The UK’s Climate Change Act made long-term climate targets and five-year interim targets legally binding. United Kingdom emissions since 1990 45 The percentage plummeted and declined the most after the passage of the Climate Change Act in 2008 , while Canada’s emissions rose 21 percent in the same period .
The right to aim for Carbon Neutrality direction is a step G7 and G20 is net-zero in line with the global movement around the agenda for 2021 in both, but as with the Carbon Neutrality pledges of other countries, Canada this goal depends on being able to achieve that increase its 2030 emission reduction targets and to update your NDC (NDC). The new law states that a new 2030 target should be set within six months of the Act coming into force . With the anniversary of the Paris Agreement on the horizon , Canada is expected to make several climate announcements within the next few weeks Is the long-awaited New Climate Plan, green recovery and investment potential, including an update on developing a new NDC (NDC).
Over the past five years, under Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has a mixed trend on the climate. Although Prime Minister Trudo repeatedly about the importance of climate action is the thing , but he Alberta Oil Sands (oil sands) have also been champions. (In Canada , between 1990 and 2018 , oil and gas sector is the fastest growing carbon pollution From the source to increase, mainly due to carbon-intensive Oil Sands (oil sands) have increased production. In 2017, oil and gas, the country’s greenhouse gas emissions 27 percent Were responsible for.)
• COVID – As part of 19 economic reform efforts , Canada pledged sanctions for at least $ 14.3 billion to support fossil fuels, compared to USD $ 7.95 million for clean energy Have given. Kovid- before 19, all G20 countries Canada spent the most on the basis of GDP per public finance fossil fuel (GDP).
• Prime Minister Trudeau not only discussed climate change in his first call with President-Elect Joe Biden , he also discussed the Keystone XL pipeline Also raised the issue of , which would take crude (crude) oil sands (oil sands) to the United States.
• 2018 When Kinder Morgan, owner of Trans Mountain Pipeline abandoned plans to extend the pipeline route (Timaks / TMX project), then the Canadian government to buy $ 3.4 Spent USD billion.
The new law plans for a Net Zero advisory group to advise on measures to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 , including regional strategies. Canadian climate experts want advisory groups to represent the best scientific and technical minds , who will advise on targets , budgets and plans, as well as independently monitor and report to the government on progress.
Carbon pricing has been an important pillar of Liberal climate action. A remaining hurdle is that Ontario , Alberta and Saskatchewan are pursuing challenges in court for federal carbon pricing , which currently $ 30 a tonne and is expected to increase to $ 50 a tonne by 2022 . Supreme Court hearing It is unknown in September and that the provinces claim that the federal government is beyond its jurisdiction, the decision will come.
Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada, Catherine Abreu gave her response, stating, today Canada took an important step in breaking its cycle of setting and failing to reach empty climate targets. However , a lot of work has to be done to move through the legislative process to make this bill truly accountable for our climate commitments by current governments as well as future governments so that Canada will never be another climate promise Break. “
