According to the latest projections from 440 Megatonnes, Canada is poised to fall more than 20 years behind on its emissions targets. At the current rate, the country is far off track for its near-term climate goals and will be lucky to hit its 2030 target in 2050. The prospect of net-zero emissions, which governments across the country have promised to reach by mid-century, is nowhere in sight. Higher emissions are a policy choice. The emissions data and the modeling both show that climate policies work—emissions are lower than they would have been without those policies—but governments have weakened, delayed, or cancelled measures that would have delivered more climate progress. Higher emissions come with rising costs. The Canadian Climate Institute’s analysis of climate damages has shown that a changing climate is already becoming a constant drag on Canada’s economy—a conclusion reinforced by the new edition of Canada’s Changing Climate released last week. But higher emissions are also not inevitable. Canada’s experience shows that well-designed climate policies can protect affordability and competitiveness, while reducing emissions. Indeed, the path to reach the goals that Canada has set for itself—lower emissions, competitive industries, diversified export markets, and secure, affordable energy—runs through good climate...

As Canada continues on its journey towards achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it's becoming increasingly clear that the province's energy sector is facing significant challenges. One of the most pressing concerns is the reliance on American fracked gas for power generation. This not only poses a threat to Ontario's environmental goals but also disrupts the country's economic and trade landscape. The Low-Tech Review (LT2) procurement process, which was meant to support the development of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power, may be in need of revision. With escalating trade tensions with the US, it's hard to justify continuing to import American fracked gas when domestic alternatives are readily available. By shifting towards made-in-Ontario energy generation, the province can strengthen local economies and deliver significant environmental benefits. However, this shift comes with its own set of challenges. The tariffs imposed on Canadian exports pose major disruptions to industries like solar panel manufacturing, where companies may be forced to prioritize the US market to avoid trade barriers. This could have a far-reaching impact on competitiveness in clean energy manufacturing, potentially undermining Canada's ability to compete globally. Ontario Power Generation's recent contract with GE-Hitachi for four new nuclear reactors at Darlington introduces significant financial and energy security risks, particularly due to their reliance on enriched uranium imported from the US. As concerns about nuclear safety and waste management continue to grow, it's clear that Ontario needs to consider alternative energy sources. Some have argued that a ban on foreign components, particularly Chinese-made ones, is necessary to protect domestic industries. However, China has become a global leader in manufacturing clean energy technologies, driving down costs worldwide. If Ontario wants to access affordable, clean energy, it should be able to use these Chinese imports without unnecessary restrictions. As Daniel Hoornweg notes, "China has become a global leader in manufacturing clean energy technologies, driving down costs worldwide." This is particularly true for solar panels and wind turbines, which are crucial components of Canada's path to net-zero emissions. By embracing Chinese innovation and technology, Ontario can accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy. It's clear that the challenges facing Ontario's energy sector require a comprehensive approach that prioritizes domestic renewable energy production and addresses the impact of trade tensions with the US. As Marcolongo so aptly puts it, "it's time to revisit the LT2 procurement process" and move away from American fracked gas in favour of made-in-Ontario energy generation. The future of Ontario's energy sector depends on it.

ACT has promised not to "sacrifice farmers for Paris targets", using the annual Field Day's event to promote its long-held climate policy. The party previously pledged to leave the Paris Agreement unless New Zealand was allowed to set new "realistic" targets. In a statement released on Wednesday, ACT climate spokesperson Simon Court set out what that might look like, proposing a new "split-gas" emissions target, where "short-lived gases" like methane would only be required to cause "no additional warming". ACT agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard said New Zealand's farmers had been villainised and punished by climate targets despite being "the most emissions-efficient in the world". "Current climate targets treat methane from a cow the same as carbon from a coal burner. That just isn't scientific." All three coalition parties have promised to keep agriculture out of the Emissions Training Scheme, with a different treatment for methane than carbon dioxide. Every country must set an Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. Its purpose is to set out how countries will deliver on the agreement's goals - that is, to keep warming well below 2° C above pre-industrial levels, while also looking to limit temperature increase to 1.5° C. New Zealand's...

Assessment of oil and gas company emissions targets evaluates their potential alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement, providing an indication of strategic compatibility with the energy transition. Investors must rapidly come to grips with climate-related risk on multiple fronts. As average global temperature rise approaches 1.5°C, the physical impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent—with significant costs to investment portfolios and the broader economy. Meanwhile, the 2026 energy crisis is further incentivising the global shift to clean energy systems on economic and energy security grounds—weakening the long-term investment outlook for fossil fuels. Against this backdrop, investors must be able to decipher which oil and gas companies aim to be compatible with a future energy system vastly different to the status quo. An oil and gas emissions target analysis provides decision-useful information for both climate and financial risk perspectives: For investors with a climate mandate or other climate interests, this analysis provides a view of potential Paris alignment of emissions targets for a sector that must reduce emissions significantly if society is to limit average global warming to well below 2°C. For those without a climate mandate, targets can signal exposure to declining demand for oil and gas...

The weakening of the European Commission’s car emissions regulations will likely reduce the share of battery electric vehicles by 15% by 2035, Transport & Environment (T&E) has said. According to T&E, the Commission’s proposal to revise its 2035 target, from...

The best thing that can be said about the Coalition’s internal brawl over whether to abandon its support for reaching net zero emissions by 2050 is that it has some honesty in it. Not much honesty, but if you look...

Open this photo in gallery: Shell's Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., in 2021. The technology will likely play a role in the Liberal government's new strategy on climate change and the economy.TODD KOROL/Reuters Ottawa...

The government’s decision to shrink a legislated target for cutting agricultural methane emissions is the latest in a string of announcements signalling a lack of ambition to meet climate targets. It represents a major step backwards and could threaten New...

One of the travel industry’s most environmentally focused tour operators, Intrepid, is scrapping carbon offsets and abandoning its emissions targets as unreachable. The Australian-headquartered global travel company said it would instead invest A$2m (£980,000) a year in an audited “climate...

Political and media attacks on renewable energy and climate action in Australia in recent months have come “out of the climate obstruction playbook” that has been honed over decades around the world by fossil fuel interests. Prof Christian Downie, an...

As European Union ministers wavered on a 90% emissions target, Exxon challenged the bloc’s corporate sustainability rules, appealing to the Trump administration to block them. Last week, environment ministers from the EU’s 27 member states failed to agree on a...

Australia’s prime minister says the country’s new emissions reductions target marks the “sweet spot” as competing parties broadly condemn it as terrible for either the economy or the planet. “There will be criticism from some who say it’s too high,...

Buried in the small library of documents released alongside the Albanese government’s new 2035 emissions reduction target on Thursday was a stark illustration of the challenge ahead. As part of its advice recommending a target of 62% to 70% reductions...

The 62-70% emissions target is a slap in the face to the people growing Australia’s food. It is nothing short of betrayal to farmers around the country and the generations who come after us. The climate chaos described in Australia’s...

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The scale of the Albanese government’s climate action ambition for the next decade will be set this week with the anticipated release of its 2035 emissions reduction target. The target is one of several expected announcements revealing the “scary” risks...

The climate crisis is often a fight over numbers – and we are coming towards the end of a big one. It will shape how ambitious Australia will be in addressing this era-defining problem, over the next decade and beyond...

As the government prepares to make major decisions on Australia’s climate targets and nature policies, Doctors for the Environment Australia, the leading voice on climate and health, is holding a timely in-person and online public forum. This high-level event will...

Chinese government officials last month showed off what they say will be the world's largest solar farm when completed high on a Tibetan plateau. It will cover 610 square kilometres, which is the size of the city of Chicago. China...

Existing emissions pathways do not cover all parameter combinations in this analysis. To build a comprehensive database with such emissions pathways, we emulate pathways for different levels of peak temperature and climate sensitivity (or ‘probability’), based on existing information from...

Canada’s most recent national greenhouse gas inventory (for the year 2023) shows that B.C. has already met its 2025 target for reducing oil and gas methane emissions. While the province is not on track to meet its broader climate targets,...