Environment and Climate Change Canada has launched a public engagement process to hear the opinions of Canadians and Indigenous peoples across the country to inform setting Canada’s 2035 national greenhouse gas emissions target. This important step is mandated under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act and Canada’s international obligations under the Paris Agreement.
“Canadians want to ensure their kids and grandkids are left with a world that has clean air and good-paying jobs. Through the efforts of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast, we have been bending the curve on pollution, putting us on track to meet our climate targets,” said Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
“We have made substantial progress, but we know we need to do more. As we see from the intensifying wildfires, droughts, and heat waves, taking action today is what will protect our future. I look forward to working with everyone and receiving input to set Canada’s 2035 emissions reduction target and build Canada’s sustainable future together.”
In 2015, Canada was trending to exceed 2005 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions levels. Today, following successive climate plans, culminating in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy, we are now projected to exceed Canada’s interim objective of 20 per cent below 2005 levels by 2026. The country is also on the right trajectory to meet 2030 goals, with many of the important building blocks needed for net zero already in place across all sectors of the economy.
The 2023 Progress Report on the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, published in December 2023, demonstrates that Canada’s climate plan is working, and that the emissions curve is bending. In addition to the federal government, other partners, stakeholders, provinces, territories, and municipalities across Canada are helping drive down emissions. Setting the 2035 target will help advance ongoing economic opportunities that are driving Canada to net zero by 2050, such as electrification, energy efficiency, and waste reduction.
To help inform the government’s work in setting the 2035 target, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, is inviting Canadians to share their views on the virtual public engagement platform: Talking Targets: Canada’s Climate Future.
This platform is open until March 28, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (PDT). The input collected through this engagement process is one of several components that need to be considered when setting the 2035 target.
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