Funding for fossil fuels could derail Canada’s new plan to reduce emissions
Canadian climate news has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Just over a month ago, the federal government released the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the most comprehensive Canadian climate plan to date, and the 2022 budget, scarcely a week apart. That same week, the urgent call of the world’s top scientists reached a fever pitch […]
‘If the will is there’: Canada must address ‘root problems’ in climate plan, says environment watchdog
The government’s plan to create a net-zero economy has some sizable flaws, according to Canada’s environment commissioner. Unrealistic assumptions about hydrogen power; a carbon pricing system that tilts the burden for change away from industry and towards the poor; and a missing-in-action “just transition” plan for workers are just a few of the problems highlighted […]
Infrastructure Canada weakened climate requirements on federally funded projects after applicants complained, audit finds
Infrastructure Canada introduced a climate lens in 2018 that set clear reporting requirements for federally funded infrastructure projects, but then weakened those requirements in March 2021 following complaints from applicants, according to a new report. Environment Commissioner Jerry DeMarco’s findings reveal the federal government does not have reliable data on the emissions reduction or climate […]
In the words of Greta Thunberg, ‘it’s all blah, blah, blah,’ and we’ve stopped listening
Re: “The science is clear, so why aren’t we listening?” (The Hill Times’ editorial published on April 27). How many times will our government say they understand the science and recognize the climate emergency, yet bow to political expediencies? In the very apt words of Greta Thunberg: it’s all blah, blah, blah! And they wonder why we’ve […]
Enter Electric Green GloFish: why Bill S-5 must protect nature from genetic pollution
Genetic engineering is a powerful technology. We increasingly have the capacity to alter the inherited traits of not only humans, but of any species on the planet. There is promise in this technology, mostly for human health, but also peril. Recently, we saw exactly how things can go wrong. Twenty or so years ago, researchers […]
The science is clear, so why aren’t we listening?
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—which brings together 270 scientists and experts from 67 countries—presented its latest report on April 4, laying out the need for major and near-term transitions in the global energy sector in order to avoid the catastrophic consequences that would come with allowing global warming to exceed 1.5 C by […]
Making Canada greener, one contract at a time
After a year of heatwaves, catastrophic wildfires, and historic flooding, it is impossible to ignore the urgency of addressing the climate crisis. The Canadian federal government has set a goal of a 40-45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050, but there is a big difference between […]
‘Hard to find, unclear, or incomplete’: feds must improve ‘greening government’ strategy to meet net-zero, audit finds
Five years after launching a “greening government” strategy to tackle the federal environmental footprint, Ottawa is “falling short” of its net-zero by 2050 target, with even Canada’s largest departmental emitter having “no clear” information on meeting the reduction goal, according to a new audit conducted by Canada’s federal environment and sustainable development commissioner. In the […]
Climate change hits southern Africa
LONDON, U.K.—Tropical Storm Ana in January, Tropical Cyclone Batsirai in February, then Dumako, Emnati and Gombe in quick succession: three cyclones and two ‘tropical storms’ in six weeks hitting the coasts of southeast Africa. Then Cyclone Idai in late March, which practically destroys the city of Beira in Mozambique, killing more than 750 people. Three […]
Canada is a climate criminal, say Wakefield letter writer
The latest IPCC climate report once again raises alarm bells to the quickly closing window for climate action. The report makes clear that we are in a now or never moment, warning that earth is firmly on track toward an unlivable world while calling for “rapid, deep and immediate” cuts in greenhouse emissions which must […]
