Canada will miss its 2020 carbon emissions reduction target

Canada had set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to global warming by 17 percent by 2020, from 2005 levels, and by 30 percent by 2030.

A recent audit from Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand says the country will likely miss this interim target and will need “substantial” additional measures to meet its commitment under the Paris Agreement.

The audit also found most Canadian provinces lacked adequate climate adaptation plans.

Environment minister Catherine McKenna, also quoted in the piece, says the report is “backward-looking” and does not take into account a new federal climate plan published last year.

She added that “meeting Canada’s 2030 target will require substantial effort and actions beyond those currently planned or in place.”

The audit looked at nine of Canada’s 10 provinces as well as its three Arctic territories. Quebec was excluded, but a similar recent audit found comparable results.

The minister cited measures including the closing of coal-fired power plants, multi-billion dollar investments in public transit, and the pricing of CO2 emissions at Can$10 (US$7.80) and rising to Can$50 per tonne in 2022.