Mark your calendars! On November 9, 2023, join the Canadian Climate Institute and the Net-Zero Advisory Body for our third annual pan-Canadian climate conference: Building Momentum Toward Net Zero.
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023, full-day conference
Last year’s conference was a huge success with more than 1,500 participants. This year’s conference promises to be just as dynamic with our great line-up of national and international speakers including:
- Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources
- Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
- Corinne Le Quéré, Chair, The High Council for Climate, France
- Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State
- Catherine Cobden, President & CEO, Canadian Steel Producers Association
- Celyeste Power, President and CEO, Insurance Bureau of Canada
- James Jenkins, Executive Director, Indigenous Clean Energy
Schedule
8:30 am Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
- Tosh Southwick, Climate Institute
- Sarah Houde, NZAB
- Elder Verna McGregor
8:45 am Latest results of NZAB and the Climate Institute’s advice and analysis
- Dan Wicklum, Co-chair, Net-Zero Advisory Body
- Rick Smith, President, Canadian Climate Institute
8:55 am Opening remarks
- Mairead Lavery, President & CEO, Export Development Canada
- Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress
9:05 am Panel 1: Regulating Zero Emission Vehicles
- Moderator: Simon Donner, NZAB
Speakers: Brian Kingston, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers
Joanna Kyriazis, Clean Energy Canada
Katya Rhodes, University of Victoria
- Increasing the uptake of zero-emissions vehicles is key to reducing pollution from the transportation sector. This panel explores the federal government’s work to ensure 60 per cent of new light-duty vehicles are zero-emissions by 2030, en route to 100 per cent of new light-duty vehicles by 2035.
9:55 am Remarks
- The Honourable Gavin Newsom, Governor of California (video)
10:10 am Keynote: Geoffrey R. Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources
- Introduction by Peter Nicholson, Chair, Canadian Climate Institute
- Geoffrey R. Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources
- Interviewed by Sean Speer, Editor at Large, The Hub
10:40 am Ministers’ discussion
- Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources
- moderated by Catherine Abreu, NZAB
11:30 am Panel 2: Greening Canada’s Buildings
- Introduction by Philippe Adam, President and CEO, Pomerleau
- Moderator: Kate Harland, Climate Institute
Speakers: Bryan Flannigan, Building Decarbonization Alliance
Raegan Bond, Dunsky
Monica Gattinger, Institute for Science, Society and Policy
James Jenkins, Indigenous Clean Energy
- Climate pollution from the building sector is increasing, putting Canada at risk of missing its 2030 emissions reduction target. This panel discusses the use of policies such as the Green Building Strategy to address these rising emissions while also making new and renovated buildings more resilient to extreme weather events.
1:05 pm Video Greetings
- Crispian Olver, Executive Director, Presidential Climate Commission, South Africa
- Premier of B.C. David Eby
1:10 pm Keynote: Corinne Le Quéré, Chair, France High Council on Climate
- Introduction by Frank Marchetti, Minister-Counsellor
- Corinne Le Quéré in conversation with Éric-Pierre Champagne, La Presse
1:45 pm Panel 3: Policies for a Bigger, Cleaner, Smarter Electricity System
- Introduction by Jonathan Price, CEO, Teck
- Moderator: Sachi Gibson, Climate Institute
Speakers: Mark Jaccard, BC Utilities Commission
Francis Bradley, Electricity Canada
Laura Arnold, VP, External Affairs, Sustainability and Market Policy, TransAlta
Moe Kabbara, Transition Accelerator
- The “big switch” from fossil fuels to clean electricity is the backbone of Canada’s clean energy transition, and will require coordinated actions from all orders of government. This panel looks at how policies and regulations can decarbonize, expand, and modernize the grid to provide clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to all Canadians.
2:35 pm Panel 4: Improving Output-Based Pricing Systems in Canada
- Introduction by Catherine Cobden, President & CEO, CSPA
- Moderator: Dale Beugin, Climate Institute
Speakers: Sarah Petrevan, Cement Association
Caroline Brouillette, CAN-Rac
Michael Bernstein, Clean Prosperity
- Output-Based Pricing Systems (OBPS) create incentives for industrial emitters to reduce emissions while protecting their international competitiveness. Several provinces have their own systems; the federal backstop applies in others. This panel will discuss changes that could be made to improve the OBPS’s impact and drive emissions reductions in sectors like electricity, steel, and cement.
3:45 pm Panel 5: Implementing the National Adaptation Strategy
- Introduction by Mandy Gull-Masty, Grand Chief, Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee
- Moderator: Sarah Miller, Canadian Climate Institute
Speakers: Celyeste Power, Insurance Bureau of Canada
Erin Myers, Métis National Council
Caroline Larrivée, Ouranos
- The summer of 2023 was marked not just by unprecedented wildfires, floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events all across Canada, but also by the publication of Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy. Senior governments have historically undervalued and underinvested in climate change adaptation but with the National Adaptation Strategy the federal government has now spotlighted adaptation as a critical national priority on which it must play a leadership role. This panel discusses what needs to happen now to ensure the strategy delivers on protecting Canadians from the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.
4:35 pm Panel 6: Capping Oil and Gas Emissions
- Moderator: Dan Wicklum, NZAB
Speakers: Mark Cameron, Pathways Alliance
Chris Severson-Baker, Pembina
Sara Hastings-Simon, University of Calgary
- Scientists are clear that to avoid the worst consequences of climate change we need to attain net zero emissions by 2050 and follow a steady emissions reduction trajectory between now and 2050. This is a key reason countries must set interim reduction targets like Canada’s 2030 target. This session explores the emissions performance of the domestic oil and gas sector as it relates to global peers, in the context of meeting Canada’s 2030 target, the upcoming regulatory cap on oil and gas emissions, and future Canadian competitiveness.
5:20 pm Closing Remarks
- Elder Verna McGregor
Related posts
NZAB Carbon Budget Panel at COP29
Members from Canada's Net-Zero Advisory Body will be attending the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), taking place this year in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22. The NZAB is hosting an event at the Canadian Pavilion on November 16.
The Net-Zero Advisory Body is pleased to host Climate's Bottom Line: Carbon Budgets and Global Collaboration at COP29. This will be an international dialogue on carbon budgets as a science-based tool to spur climate action. It will feature insights and findings from our recent report: Climate's Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada's 2035 Target in which we recommend developing a national carbon budget.
Panelists will share perspectives and experiences with carbon budgets, which have been implemented in several countries to better track the effect of policy decisions on the climate and the consequences of delaying action. Carbon budgets specify the total greenhouse gas emissions permitted over a period of time to limit a specific global temperature increase. Akin to a household budget, national carbon budgets can help ensure countries “spend only what they can afford” by tracking cumulative emissions or “expenses” over time and allocating them based on the remaining greenhouse gas emissions in the budget.
The panel will include remarks from Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change, and feature our co-chair Simon Donner and member Catherine Abreu along with Ben Rhodes, head of the International Climate Councils Network Secretariat, Heleen de Coninck, vice-chair of the Netherlands Scientific Climate Council, and Piers Forster, chair of the UK Climate Change Committee. The panelists will share their perspectives and experiences with carbon budgets, discuss their scientific basis, and identify how carbon budgets can be used alongside other measures to track emissions and communicate national progress towards achieving global climate objectives.
Links
Net-Zero Advisory Body releases reports on Canada’s 2030 and 2035 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets
Ottawa, Canada, September 26, 2024 –The Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB) advises the federal government to redouble its efforts and implement new measures to reach its 2030 climate target and adopt a 2035 target and tools comparable to trading partners.
In a new report, “Climate’s Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada’s 2035 Target”, the NZAB recommends developing a national carbon budget—the total greenhouse gas emissions that Canada will emit over time. Carbon budgets are used by other countries to better track the effect of policy decisions on the climate and the consequences of delaying action.
Alongside the carbon budget, the NZAB recommends that Canada adopt a 2035 emissions target of 50-55% reduction below 2005 levels. The proposed target meets the Paris Agreement requirement to increase ambition, and will help Canada keep paces with the ambitious climate goals of its G7 partners. Meeting the target will require greater ambition on decarbonization from the federal government, and also from provinces, territories, municipalities, and the private sector.
In a companion report “Closing the Gap: Reaching Canada’s 2030 Emissions Target”, the NZAB advises the federal government on how the country can achieve its 2030 target, of a 40-45% reduction below 2005 levels. The report highlights five key areas of action: 1) Finalize existing policy measures, 2) Address negative interactions between policies, 3) Strengthen industrial carbon pricing, 4) Secure additional reductions from the oil and gas sector, and 5) Pursue a small number of additional high-impact actions. These complementary actions will give Canada the best chance of meeting its target.
The reports were developed in response to requests from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and with the support of research from the Canadian Climate Institute.
Canada committed to reduce GHG emissions by 40–45% below 2005 levels by 2030 as its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The 2030 target is established in legislation through the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The Act also requires Canada to announce its 2035 target by December 1, 2024.
The 2030 and 2035 targets are crucial milestones to ensure Canada is on the right path to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. Net-zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that is produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere. Efforts to mitigate climate action over the next decade will be critical to setting Canada up for success on our pathway to net-zero.
Quick Facts
- NZAB is mandated under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act to engage Canadians and provide independent advice to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with respect to achieving Canada’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
- NZAB members are appointed by the Governor in Council and bring together a diverse range of expertise. The NZAB provides independent advice to the Minister based on the best available scientific information and knowledge, including Indigenous Knowledge.
- To inform its advice, NZAB engaged with decision-makers and experts, including industry experts, academics, labour representatives, and non-governmental organizations, and published an initial summary of what was heard through the NZAB’s engagement activities on its website.
- The Canadian Climate Institute provided research and analytical support in Technical Annexes that accompany the NZAB reports.
Links
- Climate's Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada’s 2035 Target
- Technical Annex (Canadian Climate Institute): Options for Canada's 2035 emissions reduction target
- Closing the Gap: Reaching Canada’s 2030 Emissions Target
- Technical Annex (Canadian Climate Institute): Closing the Gap to 2030
Quotes
“The 2035 target is a crucial milestone on Canada’s pathway to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Our efforts to mitigate climate change over the next decade will be critical to setting Canada up for success on our pathway to net-zero, including realization of benefits such as jobs in the growing renewable energy sector, more affordable and reliable electricity, and improved health through cleaner energy.”
~Sarah Houde, NZAB Co-Chair
“The Government of Canada has made significant progress on climate action to reduce emissions over the past eight years since signing the Paris Agreement in 2016. However, more aggressive and sustained action is necessary to reach our 2030 emissions target and to shift to a long-term net-zero pathway. Our advice focuses on how to finish what has been started, improve what exists, and then implement new policies.”
~Simon Donner, NZAB Co-Chair
The Net-Zero Edge: Navigating the New Realities for Canadian Competitiveness - Oct 10, 2024
Get ready!
On October 10, 2024, join the Canadian Climate Institute and the Net-Zero Advisory Body for our fourth annual national climate conference, The Net-Zero Edge: Navigating the New Realities for Canadian Competitiveness.
Date: Oct 10, 2024
Event details: This full-day conference takes place in-person in Ottawa and will be live-streamed online to enable participation from across the country.
In-person attendance is by invitation only due to limited capacity but you can reserve your complimentary virtual spot today (log-in details will be sent closer to the date).
Full agenda coming soon but here is a sneak peek at some of the great speakers who will be presenting:
- Brian Deese, Former Director of the White House National Economic Council
- Michael Sabia, President & CEO, Hydro Québec
- Ivette Vera-Perez, CEO, Canadian Hydrogen Association
- Hillary Thatcher, Managing Director, Investment: Indigenous and Northern Infrastructure, Canada Infrastructure Bank
- Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, Executive Director, Clean Energy BC
Our speakers will share a diverse range of perspectives on how Canada can thrive as the shift to net zero accelerates around the world.
Stay tuned to our social media channels on X and LinkedIn for updates.
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.