Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press with CNC files
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to announce today what Canada's next target will be for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Prime Minister will unveil the new targets during a virtual address to world leaders convened by U.S. President Joe Biden for a summit on fighting climate change.
According to Canada's report to the United Nations filed last week, emissions continued to rise in 2019. In contrast, U.S. emissions have fallen 12 per cent since 2007. Canada is yet to hit any of its past emissions targets.
Ahead of the summit, seven environmental groups released a report with modelling that says to limit global warming to 1.5 C degrees compared to pre-industrial levels, Canada must double the 30 per cent commitment it signed in the Paris Agreement.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh expressed concerns about the Liberals keeping their climate promises on Wednesday.
"I am concerned that the Liberals will set a target and not meet it, and that's why we've been saying we need better accountability," Singh said. Singh's opposition NDP is asking for more frequent climate targets than required by the government's Bill C-12, currently being debated in the Commons, which requires Canada to set its next target for 2030 and then every five years after.
In a letter to Liberal Environment and Climate Change Minster Jonathan Wilkinson, Singh called for the government to adopt a 50 per cent goal for 2030.
Conservative environment critic Dan Albas touted his own party's new climate plan, which for the first time contains a consumer carbon price, in a statement.
"The Liberal government has repeatedly announced new climate targets in the past six months without showing how they will actually reach them," Albas said in a statement.
"Announcing targets is easy, showing how they will reach them is what matters."
