Carbopedia

The Regulatory Landscape of Canada

Canada's climate action plan aims to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2006 levels by 2020, with an endeavour to achieve reductions of 60-70 percent by 2050.

Elements of their climate change policies include:

  • the goal of having 90 percent of Canada's electricity provided by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020;
  • introducing new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the automotive sector for 2011 and later model vehicles under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA 1999). By the 2016 model year, these regulations will reduce average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from new vehicles by 20 percent compared with 2007;
  • continuing to advance the Clean Energy Dialogue with the U.S. Administration;
  • investing more than $2 billion in local green technology investment through the Economic Action Plan;
  • Canada also introduced draft rules for their own Offset System for Greenhouse Gas to be administered by The Government of Canada under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The Offset System will issue offset credits for eligible Canadian project-based greenhouse gas reductions and removals. The Offset System encourages cost-effective domestic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in activities that will not be covered by the planned regulations for industrial greenhouse gas emissions.