Only 6 years to achieve ‘the greatest share of emission reductions,’ warns environment watchdog

Canada’s environment watchdog issued another reality check Thursday, warning the country that it had six years to slash the lion’s share of emissions to reach its climate goals.

“To meet the 2030 target, the greatest share of emissions reductions will need to occur in the next six years,” according to a new report from Canada’s commissioner of the environment and sustainable development.

Thursday’s report hands out some tough medicine and encouragement, recognizing that progress is being made in certain areas but more needs to happen faster.

Since 2005, Canada’s emissions have declined, falling by 7.1 per cent, but we are still a long way off the report notes from reaching at least a 40 per cent cut required by 2030.

To put that in perspective, Canada has achieved less than 20 per cent of the goal it set 19 years ago, and now it has six years to reach it.

The report examined 20 climate measures the federal government was implementing and found that “some progress” was being made. The audit notes that nearly half of those measures, like the oil and gas methane regulations, are heading in the right direction.

However, most of the measures faced significant implementation barriers. The audit flagged the delayed oil and gas pollution cap, among others. For example, only Monday did Ottawa release draft regulations for the emissions cap — three years after first announcing it.

Final regulations are not expected until late spring next year.

The audit seemed to acknowledge that the Trudeau government should not be the only one to blame. As in previous reports, Thursday’s suggested that previous Liberal and Conservative governments share Canada’s failure to significantly cut its emissions.

“Canada remains the worst performer among all member countries of the G7 since 1990 and 2005,” the report states in one of its most scathing lines.

The report also called out the provincial governments for not doing their fair share in helping Canada reduce its emissions.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires effort from governments at all levels,” the report stated.

Most of the measures examined, it added, “faced multi-jurisdictional challenges in their development or implementation.”