Reducing greenhouse gases is expensive, but it’s a great investment compared to the damage we can expect to the Canadian economy if the climate warms 5 C by 2100.
Canada is the fourth-largest oil producer in the world, with almost all of its crude oil headed for the United States.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
The recently released Emissions Reductions Plan aims to put Canada on track to reduce emissions by up to 45 per cent from 2005 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It will do neither.
Paul Burke, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Emma Aisbett, Australian National University, and Ken Baldwin, Australian National University
Australia could use about 7,000 terawatt-hours of solar and wind generation per annum to make a sizeable contribution to cutting global emissions – about 27 times its current electricity output.
An office building made with cross-laminated timber in Tokyo, Japan.
(Shutterstock)
As more companies feature wood and other bio-based products in their offices, what are opportunities and limitations of making corporate net-zero carbon pledges about building materials?
Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Greg Hunt is best known as Australia’s health minister. But before that he spent years thinking about mechanisms to get emissions down – and if elected, Labor plans to road test the one he introduced.
The Nationals have tried to link the UK energy crisis to its net-zero climate target. But as an expert advisor to the International Energy Agency tells us, the two are unrelated.
A growing number of countries and companies have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier. But there’s a catch – they still plan to keep emitting greenhouse gases.
Rather than considering the job done, Tasmania should seize opportunities including renewable energy, net-zero industrial exports and forest preservation.
Humanity can still limit global warming to 1.5°C this century. But political action will determine whether it actually does. Conflating the two questions amounts to dangerous, misplaced punditry.
Canada’s latest federal budget did little to tackle climate action or income inequality, two problems with strong ties. Alberta’s Bow Lake is seen in this photo.
Josh Woroniecki/Unsplash
The snail’s pace of action in this year’s federal budget on climate is out of step with the urgency of the climate and income inequality crises.
The Supreme Court of Canada rejected the request to strike down national carbon pricing. The plan is key to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
In its decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the gravity of climate change and upheld the idea that Parliament has the authority to act on matters of “peace, order and good government.”
Global fossil fuel emissions dropped by about seven per cent in 2020 compared with 2019. But a rebound is likely to occur when lockdowns ease up unless COVID-19 recovery packages focus on ‘green recovery.’
(AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Several countries have made pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by mid-century. But new research finds the remaining carbon budget will be depleted before we get there.
Canada’s climate plan includes adding more electric vehicle charging stations, improving energy efficiency of homes and buildings, and raising the price on carbon to $170 per tonne by 2030.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
None of Canada’s past climate targets or plans has been credible. But the math on the latest plan, which relies on a steadily increasing carbon price, could have Canada meet its 2030 goal.
The Paris Agreement on climate change, signed on Dec. 12, 2015, by almost 200 states, was hailed as the turning point to keep global warming in check. Progress, however, has been insufficient.
(UNclimate change/flickr)
The Paris Agreement set countries on a path to limit global warming. Five years on, some progress has been made, but not enough. Decarbonizing the economy will take leadership and imagination.
Professor of Public Policy, Psychology and Behavioral Science, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences