Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, recently published the conclusions of Canada’s annual greenhouse gas emissions projections. The analysis shows that in 2030, Canada’s emissions are projected to be 227 million tonnes (Mt) below what was projected in 2015. With the policies and measures currently in place, including those introduced in the last year, Canada is expected to achieve a level of emissions 28 Mt lower by 2030 than last year’s projections.
In 2019, the Government of Canada announced commitments to strengthen existing efforts and introduced new greenhouse gas reducing measures in order to exceed Canada’s current 2030 emissions reduction goal. In addition, the federal government is developing a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and will set legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones, based on the advice of experts and consultations.
“Our plan to fight climate change and grow the economy is working. Our climate plan is on track to deliver the biggest cut to Canada’s emissions ever, because we’re pricing pollution, investing in clean energy, doubling the amount of nature we protect, and making our air cleaner by phasing out coal power,” said Wilkinson. “While we have made a lot of progress over the last four years, we know there’s much more to do. We’re committed to exceeding our 2030 Paris target and getting to net-zero emissions by 2050, as well as to putting our five-year targets into law.”
The government has committed to the following efforts: increase clean electricity; invest in greener buildings and communities; accelerate the electrification of transportation; adopt nature-based climate solutions, including protecting 25 per cent of Canada’s land and 25 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, and planting two billion new trees by 2030. Once implemented, the government is estimating that these additional measures will help deliver the projected reductions needed to meet and exceed the country’s Paris Agreement goal.
Canada’s emissions projections were submitted along with the 4th Biennial Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by January 1, 2020. The report also discusses Canada’s recent mitigation actions and climate finance support that Canada provides to developing countries.
To read the full report, click here.
