Government of Canada releases emissions projections, showing progress towards climate target

December 20, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario

From forest fires and floods to heat waves and coastal erosion, Canadians are living the impacts of a warming climate every day. Fighting climate change presents an enormous opportunity – to protect the health and safety of Canadians, and also to position Canada for economic success as demand for clean technology accelerates around the world.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, published the conclusions of Canada’s annual greenhouse gas emissions projections. The analysis shows that in 2030, Canada’s emissions are projected to be 227 million tonnes (Mt) below what was projected in 2015. This is a historic level of emissions reductions. Policies and measures now in place, including those introduced in the last year, are projected to achieve a level of emissions 28 million tonnes lower by 2030 than last year’s projections.

Earlier this month, the Government of Canada announced commitments to further strengthen existing and introduce new greenhouse gas reducing measures in order to exceed Canada’s current 2030 emissions reduction goal. In addition, Canada will develop a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and will set legally-binding, five-year emissions reduction milestones, based on the advice of experts and consultations with Canadians.

The government has committed to efforts to increase clean electricity, invest in greener buildings and communities, accelerate the electrification of transportation, and adopt nature-based climate solutions – including protecting 25 percent of Canada’s land and 25 percent of Canada’s oceans by 2025, and planting two billion new trees by 2030.

Once implemented over the coming years, these additional measures will help deliver the projected reductions needed to meet and exceed the country’s Paris Agreement goal. These measures identified in the new mandate letters represent additional megatons in emissions reductions. Further, current projections do not yet account for the impacts of implementing new public transit projects and breakthroughs in clean technologies.

Canada’s emissions projections will be submitted along with the 4th Biennial Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by January 1, 2020. The report will also discuss Canada’s recent mitigation actions and climate finance support that Canada provides to developing countries.  It will be available at www.canada.ca.