Ottawa, Canada, January 27, 2023 – Today, Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB) released its annual report, Compete and Succeed in a Net-Zero Future, featuring concrete solutions the Government of Canada should implement to ensure Canada benefits from a global net-zero economy, accelerates the attainment of a net-zero emissions economy, and generates clean prosperity for generations to come.
Canada has committed to fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45% by 2030 from 2005 levels and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. Canada has built a credible foundation to meet these targets, but it must remain at the forefront of the net-zero movement to ensure competitiveness in the global economy, sustain well-being, create good net-zero compatible jobs, and attract investments to leverage competitive advantages. Independent advice and targeting a whole-of-society approach to transformation across all parts of the economy, is critical to achieving Canada's climate objectives.
The report to the federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change includes 25 recommendations across the NZAB’s three lines of inquiry identified for 2022-23: net-zero governance, net-zero industrial policy, and net-zero energy systems. This advice was informed through engagement with over 100 decision-makers and experts, including industry experts, academia, non-governmental organizations and associations, and Indigenous rights-holders. Implementing these actions without delay is essential to succeed in creating a prosperous net-zero future for all Canadians. The net-zero transition is our generation’s moonshot, and we must undertake it with a clear sense of urgency.
Launched in February 2021 and formalized under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act in June 2021, the NZAB is mandated to provide independent advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with respect to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. In turn, the Act requires the Minister to publicly respond to the advice outlined in the annual report within 120 days.
In 2023, the NZAB will continue to deepen its advice.
Highlights
- Compete and Succeed in a Net-Zero Future is the third report to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change since the NZAB was founded, and first legislated annual report under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.
- The NZAB’s annual report contains 25 pieces of advice across three priority areas: (1) net-zero governance, (2) net-zero industrial policy, and (3) net-zero energy systems.
- To inform this annual report, the NZAB hosted briefings, roundtable discussions, and conference engagement activities with a range of decision-makers and experts, including industry experts, academics, Indigenous organizations, labour representatives, and non-governmental organizations. It also received emailed comments from members of the public.
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Quotes:
“While climate plans to date set a strong foundation for reducing emissions, there needs to be widespread understanding that eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the economy in a net zero way, is fundamentally different from reducing greenhouse gases. Incremental change to our current systems will simply not result in systems that are functional and net zero by 2050. We need to define the necessary future systems now to allow sufficient time to build them by 2050.”
– Dan Wicklum, NZAB Co-Chair
“Seizing the upsides of net-zero by 2050 will require unprecedented transformations of Canada’s economy and energy systems, both of which depend on a firm collective commitment towards shared objectives.”
– Marie-Pierre Ippersiel, NZAB Co-Chair
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Apply now to join the Net-Zero Advisory Body
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change is inviting interested Canadians to apply to join the Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB).
The NZAB plays an important role under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act by providing independent advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on how Canada can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, including advice on interim climate targets and plans.
As a member of the NZAB, you would participate in briefings, meetings, and engagement activities to inform the development of advice for the Minister. You would actively contribute your own knowledge and perspectives while working collaboratively with other members.
NZAB members are appointed for 1 to 3 years on a part-time basis of approximately 3 to 5 days per month and are compensated for their time at rates set by the Governor in Council.
Interested candidates can apply here. Interviews will be conducted on an ongoing basis starting in August. Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their applications at the earliest opportunity, and before September 18th. Members are selected through the Government of Canada’s open, transparent, and merit-based selection process, and are then appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. More details on Governor in Council appointments and the open, transparent, and merit-based selection process are available from the Privy Council Office.
We encourage you to consider applying and to share this message widely with your networks. The selection process for NZAB is committed to reflecting Canada’s diversity in all of its forms. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit persons with interest in and experience working on climate change are strongly encouraged to apply for appointments to the Net-Zero Advisory Body. We would also like to encourage people from Black and other racialized communities, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ people, and youth aged 18 to 29 to apply to become members of the Net-Zero Advisory Body.
Please contact messages@pco-bcp.gc.ca with any questions about this process.
What We Heard Report 2022-2023
The Net-Zero Advisory Body is pleased to release our second What We Heard Report. This shares our engagement efforts from 2022 and 2023, and what we heard during our engagement activities during that time.
Ten overarching themes emerged from our 2022-2023 engagement:
Accountability: Culture and mechanisms for net-zero accountability need to be embedded in both public and private sectors to set and keep us on net-zero pathways.
Affordability: Net-zero policy development must consider the cost-of-living challenges facing many Canadians.
Competitiveness: Net-zero policy needs to both reduce emissions and position Canada to have a competitive and prosperous net-zero economy.
Equity: Climate policies and programs need to build stronger and more equitable communities, that respond to social, health and economic needs, while also driving emissions reductions.
Indigenous rights: Indigenous rights must be respected, including the full and meaningful implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, for all net-zero projects and pathways.
Implementation: Action is needed now to fully implement committed policies in a timely manner to achieve Canada’s ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals, and in many cases strengthen them to set us on pathways to net-zero.
People: Net-zero pathways must include greater focus on people, including Indigenous Peoples, local and racialized communities, the private sector (small-and-medium sized enterprises), workers and trade unions, as well as with youth, new Canadians, women and economically vulnerable populations.
Regional awareness: Regional differences and circumstances, including differing urban and rural needs, energy system designs, and infrastructure and workforce distribution, need to be considered during the design and implementation of net-zero policies and programs.
Transparency: Canada’s net-zero policy-making process, including the use of data and modeling, must be open and transparent.
Vision: Canada requires a clear vision on what the country’s net-zero future and energy transition looks like to drive demand and investment.
Engagement is part of NZAB’s mandate as per our Terms of Reference and the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. We view engagement as critical to cultivating the collective commitment and shared leadership across all orders of government, Indigenous Peoples, the private sector, and civil society, and to inform and drive pathways to net-zero.
NZAB looks forward to strengthening relationships with stakeholders and partners and listening to new voices and perspectives to inform its advice on independent pathways to net-zero in the months and years ahead. In particular, we recognize that Indigenous Peoples are at the forefront of both climate change impacts and climate change action. We are deeply grateful to the Indigenous partners with whom we engaged in 2022 and 2023. We acknowledge there is much more work for us to do to ensure that our advice more fully reflects Indigenous knowledge, representative perspectives, lived experiences, and leadership.
NZAB at COP28
Members from Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB) will once again be attending the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, known as COP, taking place this year from 30 November until 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). NZAB is co-hosting an event at the Canada Pavilion on December 5, 2023, with the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI).
The Developing a Net-Zero Energy System Vision for all Canadians event will build on momentum from recent COP meetings where countries increasingly recognized the massive transformation required for energy systems to meet net-zero commitments.
Panels will explore the role visions can play in leading this transformation by describing credible pathways to drive collective action and discuss the opportunity for just transitions by creating visions through collaboration and principles to meet socio-political and economic objectives. Canadian and international panelists will also provide their perspectives on developing net-zero energy systems reflecting the diversity of nations’ populations.
Check out the event page for more information about this event including speakers from SevenGen Energy, the Métis Nation of Alberta, the Environment and Climate Change Youth Council, and Presidential Climate Commission of South Africa.
Don’t forget to check back here for a summary of NZAB attendance and reflections after COP28 concludes!
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Compete and succeed in a net zero future
Concrete solutions that the Government of Canada should implement to ensure that Canada benefits from a carbon-neutral global economy, accelerates the achievement of a carbon-neutral economy and generates clean prosperity for generations to come.