Canada

Canada rises three ranks in this year’s CCPI to 58th and remains among the very low performers. The country’s performance rates very low overall, with very low in the GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use categories, and medium for Climate Policy.

In March 2022, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change published the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. This is a policy roadmap for reducing GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. It covers all sectors of the economy. A regulation to cap emissions from oil and gas is also being developed.

Oil and gas production continue at high levels

While the CCPI experts welcome the Emissions Reduction Plan, they emphasise that the Plan and Canada’s current Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) were not 1.5°C-compatible and must be considerably strengthened.

Canada is among the 20 countries with the largest developed oil and gas reserves. It also plans to increase its gas and oil production by more than 5% by 2030. This is not compatible with the 1.5°C target. The CCPI experts criticise Canada’s continuing fossil fuel subsidies and fossil fuel extraction. Despite commitments to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, these subsidies continue because of a lack of implementation and a focus on insufficient/false solutions such as carbon capture and storage, as well as fossil-based hydrogen.

Moreover, while Canada is working to phase out coal, this commitment to phase out fossil fuel production and export does not extend to oil and gas. Yet oil and gas production continue at high levels.

Canada’s NDC must be strengthened

To become aligned with a well-below-2°C trajectory, Canada must enhance its NDC and strengthen the Emissions Reduction Plan. In doing so, it should outline deadlines for most measures and strategies and provide a clearly defined pathway to achieve net zero by 2050.

The cap on all oil and gas sector emissions also must include an ambitious trajectory and be implemented swiftly. And fossil fuel production must decline significantly.

Key Outcomes

CCPI experts

The following national experts agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI:

• Mitchell Beer (The Energy Mix)
• Teika Newton, Eddy Pérez & Caroline Brouillette (Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada)
• Stephen Thomas (David Suzuki Foundation)
• Nate Wallace & Julia Levin (Environmental Defence Canada)
• Michael Polanyi (Nature Canada)
• André Bélisle (AQLPA)