Jun 6 2023 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Canada’s conservatives have spent decades denying the fundamental scientific reality of climate change and disputing the central role human activity plays in creating and exacerbating it. But as those arguments became increasingly untenable with the public, they’ve had to retreat to attacking the proposed solutions for it, most notably carbon pricing. Now, it seems, they’ve […]
Jun 5 2023 — Policy Options — Decarbonizing buildings is a necessary step to achieve net-zero emissions. Countries that take climate change seriously are introducing clean-heating requirements. Stand-alone fossil fuel heating systems will no longer be installed as early as 2024 in Germany and 2026 in the Netherlands. In Canada, the federal government has for decades ratcheted up the requirements for the […]
Jun 4 2023 — CTV News — Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is not ruling out finding ways to achieve net zero sooner than the existing 2050 goal, but would not say whether there would be a definitive commitment to move up the target. The government’s current target is to hit net zero emissions — the point at […]
Jun 3 2023 — CTV News — The U.S. Ambassador to Canada says America “absolutely wants to have it both ways” when it comes to fighting climate change while pursuing fossil fuel projects. With just days to spare before a potential default crisis, the U.S. Senate passed a deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the […]
May 30 2023 — Paul Withers — CBC — Canada’s offshore accords with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador are being updated to promote development of offshore wind farms, but it’s not clear yet whether any compensation will be paid to fishermen displaced by wind farms. Amendments introduced Tuesday in Ottawa by the federal government assign regulatory authority for wind power to jointly managed […]
May 29 2023 — Adam Radwanski — Globe and Mail — Executives from an array of low-carbon industries are attempting a show of strength on Parliament Hill this week, at a precarious point in Canada’s efforts to keep pace with the United States and other countries prioritizing low-carbon economic growth. Although representatives of specific sectors frequently show up in Ottawa to press members of Parliament for […]
May 24 2023 — Max Fawcett — National Observer — Stephen Harper is, without question, one of his generation’s sharpest political minds. But even he couldn’t have foreseen the Parliamentary Budget Officer role he created as part of his 2006 Federal Accountability Act would play a leading role in undermining support for climate policy in Canada in 2023. After all, its stated mission revolved around […]
May 23 2023 — National Observer — For the past three weeks, thousands of Albertans have been forced to evacuate their homes while firefighters and even Canadian troops battle massive wildfires. But in some corners of the province, there are whispers that the soldiers’ presence has nothing to do with the fires. In a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday and viewed […]
May 18 2023 — Bruce Campbell — The Conversation — Once again, Canada will almost certainly fail to meet its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030 in accordance with the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations. This is despite the government’s optimistic spin on the release of its latest emissions inventory report. Jerry DeMarco, […]
May 11 2023 — National Observer — While Canada has set a deadline to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, several provinces and cities, including Toronto and Prince Edward Island, have made commitments to reach that goal a decade earlier. To do so, all of their existing buildings and houses will need to be retrofitted so they no longer use fossil […]
May 10 2023 — Carl Meyer — The Narwhal — In June 2021, a beaming Jason Kenney announced Alberta’s public health measures related to the pandemic would be lifted the following month. “Our lives will get back to normal,” the premier said, breathing a sigh of relief. As Kenney was telling people about his plans for Alberta’s “best summer ever,” his high-level public servants were […]
May 10 2023 — National Observer — Despite differences of opinion, a clear majority of delegates voted to adopt the Canadian Labour Congress’ (CLC) proposed climate action plan at its tri-annual convention in Montreal. On May 9, workers representing local, regional and national unions weighed in on a climate action plan that will shape the mandate of Canada’s largest labour organization for […]
Apr 27 2023 — Politico — Lisa Raitt says Canada needs to get out of its own way. “We have so much going on for us in this country, it would be a damn shame if we just couldn’t,” says the former Conservative Cabinet minister and now the vice-chair of global investment banking at CIBC.
Apr 24 2023 — The Canadian Press — A new report says the financial support Canada is offering for the clean energy transition is competitive with the Inflation Reduction Act south of the border. The report by TD Economics refutes the arguments made by some business leaders who say Canada risks missing out on investment because of the spate of clean energy subsidies […]
Apr 23 2023 — Aaron Wherry — CBC — The latest political skirmish over the carbon tax left out the most important facts. Judged only by its title, the “national inventory report” sounds like something produced by a furniture retailer. In fact, it might be the second-most significant document published by the federal government each year — surpassed only by the annual budget. The […]