Canada must accelerate progress to meet 2030 emissions target: report – National

A rise in oil and gas production and a resurgence in air travel have hampered Canada’s progress in the fight against climate change over the past year, but a new report shows the country has still managed to modestly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

New estimates released by a leading climate policy institute show Canada cut its emissions by about one per cent last year compared with 2022, or eight per cent since 2005.

But the Canadian Climate Institute says the country will need to speed up the process if it is to meet its 2030 goal of cutting emissions by 40 to 45 per cent from 2005 levels.

The report found that the energy sector continued to outperform other sectors, reducing emissions by 6.2% year-on-year, or 38% since 2005, helped by policies such as carbon pricing for industry and phasing out coal.

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The oil and gas sector continued to drag down Canada’s progress, increasing emissions by about one per cent compared to 2022 and now accounting for just under a third of the country’s total emissions.

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Of the eight main sectors, transport saw the largest annual growth, up about 1.6%, driven by a rebound in domestic aviation, the report said.

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“Progress in Canada’s emissions reductions once again varies significantly across sectors,” said Rick Smith, president of the Canadian Climate Institute.

“Governments across the country need to accelerate policy work and strengthen measures already in place, such as electrification and industrial carbon pricing systems.”

The institute’s early estimates are intended to provide a snapshot of trends before Canada releases its official inventory report next spring, a requirement under U.N. climate pacts. The independent early estimates are based in part on annual Statistics Canada data on production, demand and population activity.

Last year was the second warmest year on record in Canada and the warmest year globally, due to climate change and the El Niño phenomenon.