The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act: A Tepid Response to the Paris Agreement

Canada’s record on climate change should be judged not only on the targets and commitments that Canada has made over the years, but also on its actions. Despite commitments from government after government to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the past 3 decades, Canada has failed to translate these commitments into real reductions in net emissions. Instead, Canada’s emissions have continued to rise. Meanwhile, the global climate crisis has gotten worse. However, the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has shown that Canada does have the capacity to respond to crises. Will Canada finally turn the corner and do its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?