Canada Develops Legal Framework to Prioritize Net-Zero Implementation

Canada’s national climate governance system — including its political leadership, inclusive planning and accountability mechanisms — is poised to support rapid GHG emission reductions towards its net-zero goal. Although Canada’s first LT-LEDS (2016) did not include a net-zero target, the development of this initial long-term climate strategy initiated a shift from short-term to long-term climate planning, which thereafter spurred several climate governance interventions. In 2019, the Canadian Parliament declared a national climate emergency and in 2020, during the Speech from the Throne, the government committed to legislate a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Later that year, a bill was introduced to advance this commitment. The same year, Canada also released its Strengthened Climate Plan, which outlines synergistic opportunities for achieving climate goals while promoting economic prosperity.

According to an interview with an analyst in Canada’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, the net zero bill was debated and amended before ultimately passing in 2021. Now law, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act establishes a legally binding process for the government to set GHG emission reduction targets and communicate plans to achieve each target. The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (2022) was the first of such plans established under the new law and outlines a sector-by-sector path for Canada to reach its emissions reduction target of 40 to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. In developing the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the Canadian government heard public feedback on the plan from over 30,000 Canadians.  

The plan emphasizes that pricing carbon pollution is key to achieving the 2030 target and, despite legal challenge, the country’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (2018), was upheld by Canada’s Supreme court in 2021, upholding its validity. To support government accountability, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act requires regular reporting on the country’s progress toward its greenhouse gas emissions targets, with the first progress report submitted in 2023, a second due in 2025 and a third in 2027. In 2025, the report must contain an assessment of progress toward the 2030 target and include the next national GHG emissions reduction target for the 2035 milestone year.

The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act also establishes a Net Zero Advisory Body in legislation, which will provide independent advice on the GHG emissions targets and emission reduction plans, including measures and sectoral strategies that the Government of Canada could implement. The Advisory Body is required to prepare an annual report stating its advice and the results of its engagement activities. When preparing its advice and its report, the advisory body must consider a range of factors including the best available scientific information and Indigenous knowledge. The Ministers must release a public response to the Net-Zero Advisory Body Report within 120 days after receiving it. The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act requires a comprehensive review five years after its coming into force. 

Ultimately, Canada’s net-zero-aligned governance mechanisms have already served to focus national planning and policymaking on driving decarbonization. In the years ahead, we can evaluate the extent to which this framework drives progress toward the near- and long-term climate targets that have been established.