Canada: (1) Strengthen country’s Paris Agreement pledge; (2) new infrastructure spending that won’t lock Canadians into a high carbon path; (3) prioritize transit and active transportation over auto-only infrastructure
I support the Canada Climate Action Network’s recommendation that Canada work to raise its NDC targets given the Paris Ambition Mechanism process that calls on parties to update INDC contributions during regular five-year evaluations of progress (2020, 2025, and 2030).
Improvements in energy efficient is a major sector where greater investment will help with emission reduction efforts. Not only should governments support transit, walking and biking, they could promote workplace telecommuting and reduced travel considerations with teleconferencing instead as a means to reduce emissions.
Third: Specific to the oil and gas sector, reviewing planned oil and gas production targets and plans for pipeline growth in Canada’s Pan-Canadian Climate Change Framework strategy. The Framework should include a clear message on moving faster to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies that help support the building of public infrastructure.
Learn More
Climate Action Network analysis of the Pan-Canadian Framework
http://climateactionnetwork.ca/climate_old/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/1PCFanalysis_CAN-Rac.pdf
http://climateactionnetwork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Expectations-Pan-Canadian-Framework.pdf
Canada’s INDC assessment by Climate Action Tracker
http://www.climateactiontracker.org/countries/canada.html
Columbia Institute’s 2017 Report Card: Top Asks for Climate Action
http://www.civicgovernance.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_TopAsksReportCard_Backgrounder-1.pdf
An assessment of whether Canada can build pipelines and keep its climate commitments
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office%2C%20BC%20Office/2016/06/Can_Canada_Expand_Oil_and_Gas_Production.pdf
Rules in countries taking stock and informing the preparation of successive NDCs after the Paris Agreement
https://unfccc.int/focus/items/10240.php
Canada presently one of few countries that has submitted to UNFCCC their long term plan for 2050
http://unfccc.int/focus/long-term_strategies/items/9971.php
Canada’s first revision to its NDC submission given Parliament’s Pan-Canadian Framework approval http://www4.unfccc.int/ndcregistry/PublishedDocuments/Canada%20First/Canada%20First%20NDC-Revised%20submission%202017-05-11.pdf
A guide to understanding country contributions – INDCs
http://www.wri.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Decoding_INDCs.pdf