One Industry is Stopping Us From Hitting Emissions Targets. Three Guesses Which.
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
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Canada has big plans to reduce emissions
When it comes to making the hard choices to get us there, though, the federal government seems to be dragging its feet.Most of Canada's economic sectors are expected to reduce their emissions by 2030. The biggest emitter in Canada, the fossil fuel industry, however, is projected to increase them significantly before that time.
Due largely to that growth in the oil and gas industry, Canada is now projecting it will be even further than it was before from meeting its 2030 Paris commitments.
So much for pipelines being essential to meeting our climate goals. Read on for more.
B.C. Moves Ahead With Review of Controversial Environmental Assessment Process
By Judith Lavoie
There are so many problems with B.C.’s current environmental assessment process that a review, announced Wednesday by Environment Minister George Heyman, will almost certainly mean improvements, say environmental groups.
Heyman said it is clear that the public has lost trust in the process, leading to conflict and uncertainty and government’s priorities are working with First Nations and ensuring the process is science-based. Read more.
Canada’s Overall Emissions Are Going Down But We’re Further Away from Meeting Our Climate Goals. Guess Why.
By Jimmy Thomson
Canada is getting further away from meeting its climate target under the Paris Accord, despite an overall reduction in emissions, according to the government’s latest submission to the United Nations as part of its reporting requirements under the international climate treaty.
While most sectors of the Canadian economy have reduced their carbon output, the latest report shows growth in oil and gas and “demographic changes” are responsible for a widening gap between Canada’s greenhouse gas output and the country’s 2030 climate targets. Read more.
Canada’s Commitment of $220 Million to Transition Remote Communities Off Diesel a Mere ‘Drop in the Bucket’
By James Wilt
There have been delays, exemptions, backtracking and threats of lawsuits — but the Pan-Canadian Framework is ever so slowly inching the country towards a low-carbon future.
Unfortunately, the same can’t exactly be said about the country’s 292 off-grid communities, most of which are Indigenous. Roughly 86 per cent of off-grid communities are primarily dependent on diesel for generating electricity.
The federal government recently allocated $220 million over six years to help such communities transition to renewables. But calculations indicate that it’s not nearly enough to deal with the 450 megawatts of installed diesel in Canada. Read more.
What You Need to Know About BC Hydro’s Financial ‘Mess’ and the Site C Dam
By Sarah Cox
B.C. Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said Thursday that “there’s a mess” at BC Hydro. Mungall made the comment after the B.C. Utilities Commission denied the government’s request for a hydro rate freeze — putting the kibosh on one of the NDP’s campaign promises.
Instead, the commission approved a scheduled three per cent hydro rate hike for April 1, saying that the increase is not sufficient to cover BC Hydro’s costs. What’s going on? And what does it mean for you and your future hydro bill?
DeSmog Canada caught up with Eoin Finn, a former partner at KPMG, one of the world’s largest accounting and consulting firms, to find out. Finn is also a director of the Pacific Electricity Ratepayers Association. Read more.
‘It’s An Act of Intimidation’: First Nations Call Out BC Hydro on Threat to Recover Costs of Site C Dam Logging Pause
By Sarah Cox
First Nations are challenging BC Hydro’s claim of a “substantial increased cost” to the $10.7 billion Site C dam because of a voluntary pause to the destruction of areas of great significance to Treaty 8 members.
“I find it outrageous that they would make this claim without any evidence whatsoever,” said Tim Thielmann, a lawyer for two Treaty 8 First Nations that have filed notices of civil action alleging that the Site C dam infringes on their treaty rights.
Thielmann also called BC Hydro’s statement that it “reserves the right to seek recovery” of the increased cost from First Nations “completely unacceptable.” Read more.
Our independent media friends at The Tyee reposted Jimmy Thomson's story on water access in First Nations communities. Thanks, Tyee!
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