Trudeau outlines the 5 pillars of Canada’s Updated Climate Plan: “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy”
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau recently announced an ambitious new plan for Canada to take action on climate change and build back from the hardship wrought by COVID-19. Canada’s updated Climate Plan sets ambitious yet measurable steps to mitigate climate change, and synchronizes with other movements globally such as Joe Biden’s #BuildBackBetter US Presidential Campaign and Germany’s COVID-19 stimulus that prioritizes low-carbon investments.
“It is within our reach to build back from the pandemic in a way that meets the need to address climate change and to deliver a stronger economy that thrives in a low-carbon world to the benefit of all Canadians,” writes Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson. “A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy is a plan that achieves both our environmental goals and our economic hopes: clean air, clean water and long-term secure jobs.”
Canada’s updated Climate Plan outlines five focus areas that “build on the work done to date and efforts that are already underway. … it is a key pillar to the Government’s commitment to create over one million jobs, restoring employment to pre-pandemic levels.” The plan also contains new measures to support Indigenous climate leadership, to reduce emissions from federal operations’ waste, and to contribute towards stepped-up climate action around the world.
Trudeau’s dialogue is a call to action for public and private organizations to make commitments to collaborative, cross-functional initiatives to reduce carbon emissions.
Envizi is proud to operate in Canada and partner with Canadian organizations who share our mission to bring transparency to climate action measures with carbon accounting and data analytics that accelerate progress toward targets.
Our focus areas are well aligned with Canada’s call to action. We are excited to launch into 2021 with Canada’s Climate Plan to help guide priorities.
The five pillars of Canada’s climate plan update:
Making the Places Canadians Live and Gather More Affordable by Cutting Energy Waste:
This section of the plan addresses the need for energy-efficient homes and buildings, which will allow Canadians to be more comfortable and healthier while spending less on power. It also addresses ways to reduce pollution while creating thousands of jobs in construction, technology, manufacturing, and sales.
Making Clean, Affordable Transportation and Power Available in Every Community
To promote healthier, less congested, and more vibrant communities, this pillar addresses the expansion of clean energy supply and zero emission transit through intentional investments in renewable and next-generation clean energy and technology.
Continuing to Ensure Pollution isn’t Free and Households Get More Money Back
Historically, Canada has made explicit statements about their support of carbon pollution pricing. This pillar addresses how this pricing will rise through 2030 and will likely adjust in structure, from annual to quarterly payments in the next year. Money from the carbon tax program is then reallocated to taxpayers through the Climate Action Incentive rebate.
Building Canada’s Clean Industrial Advantage
This section outlines performance standards, investments and incentives to accelerate “Made-in Canada” low-carbon products, services and technologies around the world, which will provide good-paying, long-lasting jobs through Canadian business.
Embracing the Power of Nature to Support Healthier Families and More Resilient Communities
Canada has a plan to protect 25% of its lands and oceans by banning harmful single-use plastics by 2021, adding more detail to Canada’s stance on the essential value of nature. Canada’s plan also pledges to plant two billion trees with effective management, conservation, and restoration. The benefits of this proactive approach will include a reduction in pollution, cleaner air, better resilience to extreme weather, and thousands of jobs for tree planters, technicians, nursery growers, field biologists, urban planners, and more.
Prime Minister Trudeau explained that the pandemic had taught us the importance of global cooperation. He went on to emphasize partnership, through provinces and territories domestically and also across borders more internationally.
His words align with the strong message conveyed in the Paris Accord that reducing the effects of climate change requires a commitment from all scales of institutions, both through strategies outlined by governments, but also through collaborative international efforts. Measurable targets and defined methods of accountability will support each organization’s role in mitigating the effects of climate change.
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