441-00587 (Environment)

The science is clear that accelerated efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions rapidly by 2030, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, are necessary in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The economics are clear too – to build a strong, resilient, economy for generations to come, we must harness the power of a cleaner future.

The Government of Canada recognizes this reality, and since 2015 has taken significant, ambitious steps to reduce emissions, protect the environment, spur clean technologies and innovation, and help Canadians and communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

In 2016, the Government of Canada developed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, in collaboration with provinces and territories, and with input from Indigenous peoples. Building on this national effort, the Government of Canada released its Strengthened Climate Plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, in December 2020, to deepen emissions reductions across the economy, create new, well-paying jobs, make life more affordable for households, and build a better future.

In 2021, the Government of Canada committed to achieving an enhanced 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels under the Paris Agreement and adopted legislation to enshrine this Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), as well as the commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in law. The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (the Act) provides a durable framework of accountability and transparency to deliver on these commitments. The Act requires the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to set subsequent targets for 2035, 2040, and 2045, at least 10 years in advance. The Actalso holds the federal government accountable as it charts Canada’s path to achieve net-zero emissions by establishing a transparent process to plan, assess, and adjust the federal government’s efforts to achieve our national targets based on the best scientific information available.

As an early deliverable under the Act,Canada published the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan in 2022. The plan lays out the next steps to reaching Canada’s 2030 emissions reduction target, including a suite of new mitigation measures and strategies, and builds on the foundation set by Canada’s existing climate actions. The plan also reflects input from thousands of Canadians, businesses, and communities, as well as submissions from Indigenous partners, provinces, territories and the Net-Zero Advisory Body.

Measures introduced by the Government of Canada since 2015 include:

• Bringing into force the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act ensuring that every Canadian jurisdiction has a price on carbon. The price on carbon pollution started at $20 per tonne of emissions in 2019 – and has been rising at a predictable rate of $10 per year to reach $50 in 2022. Starting in 2023, the price will start rising by $15 per year until it reaches $170 per tonne in 2030;
• Committing to accelerate our G20 commitment to eliminate inefficient fossil fuel subsidies from 2023 to 2025, and develop a plan to phase out public financing of the fossil fuel sector including by federal Crown corporations;
• Accelerating the phase-out of coal-fired electricity generation, and positioning the oil and gas sector to cut pollution by working with stakeholders to implement a cap on oil and gas sector emissions;
• Building Canada’s renewable electricity future by continuing to advance the Clean Electricity Standard to enable Canada to achieve at net-zero electricity grid by 2035, and making significant investments to support renewable electricity and grid modernization projects;
• Helping to reduce energy costs for homes and buildings, and boosting climate resiliency;
• Driving progress on clean cars and trucks through investments in zero-emission vehicles charging and refueling infrastructure, and the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program;
• Establishing of the Canadian Center for Climate Services which provides climate information and support to help Canadians consider climate change in their decisions, including health-related adaptation decisions via the collaborative climate information portal, ClimateData.ca; and,
• Developing a climate lens to integrate climate considerations throughout Government of Canada decision-making.

Furthermore, the Government of Canada is taking a multi-faceted approach towards zero plastic waste and the transition to a circular economy focused on eliminating plastic pollution at its source and on keeping plastics in the economy and out of the environment.

The Government has developed a management framework for single-use plastics that provides a transparent and evidence-based approach to monitoring risks to the environment posed by single-use plastics. The framework includes four criteria to determine if a single-use plastic should be banned: if the item is prevalent in the environment, poses a threat of harm (e.g., to wildlife and their habitat), is difficult to recycle, and has readily available alternatives. Using these criteria, the Government identified six categories of single-use plastics, and on June 22, 2022, published the Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations. These Regulations prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers, stir sticks, and straws. Single-use plastic flexible straws will remain available, under certain conditions, to allow continued access to those who require them for health and accessibility reasons. 

The Government is also developing regulations to require that all plastic packaging in Canada contain at least 50 per cent recycled content by 2030. The same regulations will also include labelling rules that prohibit the use of the chasing-arrows symbol unless 80 per cent of Canada’s recycling facilities accept, and have reliable end markets for, these products. Working with provinces and territories, the Government will also implement and enforce an ambitious recycling target of 90 per cent for plastic beverage containers. The Government has also committed to supporting provincial and territorial producer responsibility efforts by establishing a plastics registry that would report annually on plastics in the Canadian economy.

Actions such as these, as well as ongoing efforts with provinces and territories to ensure that producers are responsible for the cost of managing their plastic waste, will help address the issue of plastic pollution from single use plastics.

The Government of Canada also recognizes that a more ambitious, strategic and collaborative approach is required to adapt to the impacts of climate change including higher temperatures, variable precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, severe floods, wildfires, drought, and other extreme weather events. Working with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous peoples and other key partners and stakeholders, the federal government is developing Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy. This Strategy will advance a shared vision for climate resilience and provide a blueprint for whole-of-society action to help communities and residents of Canada better adapt to and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

These and other historic commitments aim to increase Canada’s climate and environmental ambition, and to help people living in Canada be more resilient to climate impacts. These commitments will benefit all Canadians, in particular those groups that are disproportionately affected by the negative effects of climate change including children, low-income communities, seniors, and Indigenous peoples.