Canada to cut emissions by 40-45% by 2030, Trudeau tells summit
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday promised to slash Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent over the next nine years, but without specifics on how to meet the more ambitious goal, which falls short of the target set by its closet ally.
Speaking virtually to a summit of global leaders convened by U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss fighting climate change, Trudeau announced the new targets, four to nine per cent higher than his current plan to cut emissions by 36 per cent by 2030. The cut applies to 2005 emission levels.
In his summit address, Trudeau said because of policies such as his government’s national carbon price, which is set to rise to $170 per tonne by 2030, it was in a position to “blow past” its 30 per cent reduction commitment set out under the Paris Agreement. “If major economies in the room were to follow Canada’s lead and adopt a rising price on pollution and commit to phase out coal plants, we would accelerate our global path for a safe, prosperous netzero future,” Trudeau said.
At a news conference, Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the new targets were attainable. “We need to stretch because this is an issue on which we needed to be guided by science,” Wilkinson said.
To cut more heat-trapping emissions, he said it’s likely the government will have to look at changes to Canada’s methane regulations, as well as getting more emissions-free vehicles on the road. He ruled out any more increases to the carbon price beyond $170 per tonne.
“It’s 2021, we have nine more years. People would think we were a bit crazy if we said: ‘Oh well, we’re done.’ ”
Canada promises to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The federal NDP and Green Party of Canada, which had pushed Trudeau to adopt a target of at least 50 and 60 per cent, respectively, said Thursday’s announcement was underwhelming. Green Party Leader Annamie Paul compared Canada’s targets with the United States’ new commitment to cut emissions by 50 to 52 per cent and to a similar promise from the European Union. The United Kingdom has also pledged to cut emissions by 78 per cent compared with 1990 levels by 2035.
“We have said to the world that we don’t have that ambition for ourselves,” she said.
Climate groups criticized the new targets as being insufficient compared with Canada’s allies, with Environmental Defence saying they make Canada “a climate laggard.”
“We have the weakest 2030 carbon reduction target of G7 countries,” national climate program manager Dale Marshall said.
Wilkinson defended Canada’s targets as indeed being ambitious and achievable. He said the U.S. has a different economy and suggested if it borrowed from some of Canada’s existing climate policies it would see emissions drop.
In his speech, Trudeau said because Canada produces and exports energy, reducing emissions up to the new target of 45 per cent “will not be easy.”
“He called out the No.1 barrier to Canadian climate ambition, which is our oil and gas production,” said Catherine Abreu, executive director of the Climate Action Network.
“That’s the fastest growing source of emissions in the country. That’s something we’re going to have to tackle to not only meet the target that they laid out today, but to get closer to our fair share of the effort,” Abreu said.
While its welcome to see Canada lift its target, Abreu said, it falls short of the 60 per cent reduction by 2030 that she and others say is required for the country to do its share to limit global warming to 1.5 C.
“Part of what I’m encouraged by here is the potential for Canada to get into the swing of ratcheting up the ambition of our climate targets over time, which is what the Paris Agreement tells us we’re supposed to do,” she said.
Abreu said the higher goal underscored the need for Bill C-12, legislation being debated that would require the federal environment minister to set rolling, five-year targets for cutting emissions starting in 2030 and ending in 2050.
She and others believe before its passes, it should be strengthened to see Thursday’s target reviewed no later than 2025 to avoid a repeat of missing climate targets. “Historically, Canada has missed every climate goal it has set, and emissions have barely dropped since 2005,” said Michael Bernstein, executive director of the climate policy organization Clean Prosperity.
“It’s important to set goals like the 2030 target, but what matters even more are policies that reduce our emissions and enable us to achieve our goals.”
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole characterized Trudeau’s announcement as “empty words” and lacking a real plan.
He said his own party’s climate plan will stick to reduce emissions by the 30 per cent committed to under the Paris Agreement and “will not make things up on the fly like Mr. Trudeau did today.”
Bloc Québécois Leader YvesFrançois Blanchet, who would have preferred Canada align its goal with the U.S., said he would bring forward an amendment to cement the new commitment into Bill C-12.
“The weight of the proof is on [Trudeau’s] own shoulders. And there is only one way to make it clear — it’s to write it within his very own law,” Blanchet said.
Former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry, now Biden’s special envoy on climate change, tweeted that Canada’s new 2030 targets, along with measures from other wealthy countries, means half of the world’s economy has committed to efforts needed to limit warming to 1.5 C.