Auditor General: Canada’s Emission Cuts Unlikely to Achieve 2030 Goal

On Tuesday, the auditor general of Canada declared that the country’s plan to reduce emissions is imperfect and unlikely to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 45% below the 2005 level by 2030.

If Canada fails to meet the minimum 40% goal by 2030, it will breach its obligation under the Paris Agreement on climate change, as outlined by the United Nations.

The auditor general’s office stated that Ottawa’s strategy is lacking, as crucial actions required to achieve the 2030 goal were either postponed or not given sufficient priority.

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Jerry DeMarco, identified in the audit that reducing emissions was distributed among various federal entities not directly answerable to Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, making it challenging to track progress and implement necessary corrections.

“I agree with the commissioner; we need to do more. We need to do it faster,” said Guilbeault.

According to Guilbeault, Ottawa will release plans for zero-emission cars in the coming weeks, as well as a framework for capping oil and gas emissions and requiring a 70% reduction in methane emissions from the industry by 2030.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has emphasized that fighting climate change is still a primary priority for his government, given that Canada has yet to achieve all of its established goals for carbon reduction.

Last year, Canada unveiled its first comprehensive plan for achieving the 2030 climate targets, outlining specific strategies and additional funding of C$9.1 billion ($6.6 billion) to reduce carbon emissions.

With “drive, focus, and leadership,” the government may still accomplish its 2030 target, according to DeMarco.

According to the audit, the strategy exhibited promising elements like carbon pricing and regulations, but it also displayed numerous flaws,” including missing and inconsistent information and unreliable projections that hindered the plan’s credibility.”