After years of missed targets, Liberals table their climate plan this week

The Liberals will this week table their most detailed plan to date for achieving Canada's climate goals — after years of governments missing their marks.

"Canada has never reached any of its own climate targets," said Caroline Brouillette, national policy manager at Climate Action Network Canada, a coalition of more than 130 groups.

"This plan is an opportunity to correct this."

In June 2021, the Liberals passed Canada's Net Zero Emission Accountability Act (CNZEAA). It states, among other things, that the Canadian government must set regular incremental targets on the road to net-zero by 2050.

The government has agreed already to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030. It has committed to setting further incremental targets in 2035, 2040 and 2045.

The new act has built in a framework of checkpoints and assessments that include independent oversight. But the basic government reporting measures include tabling emissions reduction plans and regular progress reports.

Canada has had nine climate plans since 1990 and has failed to hit any of the targets in them. Federal Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Jerry V. DeMarco said Canada has been the worst performer among G7 nations on climate targets since the landmark Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015.

The government hopes this week's plan changes that trajectory of failure.

A climate plan is a lot like a household budget, said lawyer Julia Croome of Ecojustice, an environmental law charity — if you don't pay attention to the details, you won't achieve your goals.

"You need a plan. You need to break it all out — what are my expenses, what do I need to achieve. And without that, you are obviously not going to stay within your budget," Croome said.

Climate Action Network Canada said this week's emissions plan should set deadlines and show how much Canada's climate commitments will cost, how progress will be measured, how data gaps will be closed and which ministers are responsible.

The Conservatives say they worry the plan could hurt the Canadian economy.

"We've got really tough issues with inflation, gas prices, other things. The last thing we need is for the net-zero plan to result in a job-zero plan," said MP Kyle Seeback, the Conservative environment and climate change critic.