‘Criminally irresponsible’ for Tories not to release climate plan, says activist, but Conservative strategists and pollsters say it’s unwise to push out plan as SNC-Lavalin scandal dominates
It’s “criminally irresponsible” for the Conservatives to attack the Liberals’ carbon tax without offering an alternative plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says an environmental activist, but Conservative strategists and pollsters say there’s no sense in the opposition releasing a key policy platform in the midst of the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Catherine Abreu, executive director of […]
Canada’s climate changing faster than in rest of the world, our laws need to catch up
When we talk about climate change, we often focus on the number 1.5. This number was at the heart of the landmark UN climate change report released last fall. It’s also the global temperature rise limit that Canada committed to working towards when it signed the Paris Agreement in 2015. But you may be surprised […]
Canada can’t coast through this climate catastrophe
Canada is always trying to punch above its weight and prove itself from under the shadow of its southern neighbour. Well, congratulations, Canada. We’ve managed to shine once again, by being a world leader in how quickly we can warm our section of the globe. Canadian scientists have determined, in a report released April 2, […]
Senate committees studying oil tanker ban, impact assessment bills won’t travel to key areas, members say
The Senate has approved more than $600,000 for a pair of committees to travel as part of their study of controversial government bills that affect the resource development industries, but some Senators say they’re not happy with the travel itinerary. The Transport and Communications Committee, which is studying Bill C-48, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, […]
Airline lobby appeals to feds for targeted incentives for sector as it fleshes out climate policy
As Ottawa prepares to roll out proposed regulations for its clean fuel standard, aviation stakeholders have been urging the government to adopt a policy carveout for the sector to create the necessary incentives to encourage uptake of biojet fuel. In the absence of an existing commercial market for biojet fuel, which makes renewable aviation fuel […]
A tale of two aircraft sales
In the wake of the horrific crash of the Ethiopian Air flight on March 10, killing all 157 persons on board, questions have been raised about the issue of captive regulators. Could all those lives have been saved, and the 189 more from the Lion Air flight that crashed in October into the Java Sea, […]
Let’s ditch the silos: towards an integrated agri-food policy framework
The Canadian government has identified the agriculture and agri-food sector as an engine of growth, with some pretty ambitious targets over the next decade. The 2017 Barton Report by the government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth proposed that Canada should boost its agriculture exports by $11-billion and its agri-food exports by $19-billion by 2027. The […]
Sohi says investments in green economy won’t leave traditional energy workers behind
As Canada moves away from coal-powered energy, the federal Liberal government has invested $150-million in communities that depend on coal as an economic driver, says Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi. “These new measures will give working Canadians greater confidence about their ability to provide for their families down the road,” Mr. Sohi (Edmonton Mill Woods, […]
It’s time to shift our perspective from ‘disaster management’ to climate resilience
From last week’s ‘bomb cyclone’ causing record-breaking floods in the U.S. Midwest, to the World Economic Forum’s recent warning that extreme weather events are the most threatening global risks this year, news on the climate change front isn’t good these days. Last fall, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that the impacts of climate […]
Zero-emission vehicle subsidies and home heating tax exemptions: both fail the test
Two recent announcements—one by the Liberals and one by the Conservatives—show that neither party has cornered the market on bad ideas for spending taxpayers’ money. In the 2019 budget, the government announced a subsidy of up to $5,000 to encourage consumers to purchase electric-battery or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Canada already has experience with these types […]
