Net-Zero Advisory Body provides advice for Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

OTTAWA, ON, March 21, 2022 /CNW/ - The Net-Zero Advisory Body, established under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act with a mandate to provide the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with independent advice with respect to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, is pleased to release its submission to inform Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan.

Our submission provides advice on specific improvements to existing federal programs and proposes new measures that the Government of Canada should consider to help achieve its 2030 target of a 40 to 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels.

The advice in this submission is grounded in the Net-Zero Advisory Body's five foundational values and five design principles set out in our first publication, Net-Zero Pathways: Initial Observations, and is informed by our engagement, analysis and deliberations. As requested by the federal Ministers of Environment and Climate Change and Natural Resources, the Net-Zero Advisory Body's submission also provides key guiding principles to inform the Government's development of quantitative five-year emissions reduction targets for the oil and gas sector.

The Net-Zero Advisory Body would like to acknowledge the contributions from hundreds of individuals, businesses, governments and organizations that participated in our engagement process. The ideas and perspectives that were shared with us helped inform our thinking and advice. The Net-Zero Advisory Body will continue to engage Canadians in the months and years ahead.

Highlights

• This submission represents the Net-Zero Advisory Body's independent advice for Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. It is focused on the four lines of inquiry that we set for our first year: governance; buildings; transportation; and, oil and gas.
• We have identified 40 pieces of advice across our four lines of inquiry to inform federal decision-making to help reduce Canada's GHG emissions by 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2030.
• Our submission also provides advice on key guiding principles to help inform the development of quantitative five-year emission reduction targets for the oil and gas sector, as requested by the federal Ministers of Environment and Climate Change and Natural Resources.
• To inform our advice, the Net-Zero Advisory Body conducted a range of engagement activities over the course of summer and fall 2021 and early 2022, including hosting briefings and roundtable discussions with a range of decision-makers and experts, including labour representatives, Indigenous organizations, oil and gas companies, and non-governmental organizations. We also received over 1,200 submissions and comments through our website.
• A summary of what was heard through the NZAB's engagement activities will be published on our website in April 2022.

Quotes

"Canada is past the point where incremental adjustments are good enough - achieving our country's 2030 emissions reduction target is critical after decades of missing the mark. The Net-Zero Advisory Body's advice for Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan identifies concrete steps that the Government of Canada should take to close the gap to achieve its 2030 target, while supporting the most likely pathways for Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050."

-Dan Wicklum, Co-Chair

"We are pleased to provide our advice to Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan for 2030. The climate crisis and achieving net-zero is not just an environmental issue ? it touches all parts of society. Shared leadership, where everyone contributes in their areas of decision-making and influence, is imperative to getting Canada on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050."

-Marie-Pierre Ippersiel, Co-Chair

Links

• Website: https://nzab2050.ca/
• Publication: Submission for Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
• Publication: Net-Zero Pathways: Initial Observations
• Twitter: @NZAB_Canada

About

• The Net-Zero Advisory Body is a non-partisan group of experts established under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act with a mandate to provide the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with independent advice with respect to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, including greenhouse gas targets and plans to achieve the targets. The Net-Zero Advisory Body also has a mandate to engage Canadians on net-zero emissions.

SOURCE Net-Zero Advisory Body