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As a nation Canada might not be meeting its national climate targets, but the federal government is exceeding its own internal greenhouse-gas-reduction goals.
In an update Monday, the government of Canada said carbon pollution from its operations is down by 42.5 per cent below 2005 levels.
This exceeds Ottawa’s 40 per cent reduction target and represents a slashing of 1.024 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
That’s equivalent to removing pollution from more than 238,000 gas-powered passenger cars in a given year.
The ultimate goal is for the government to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 — eliminating carbon pollution to as close to zero as possible while balancing any lingering emissions with carbon removal measures or technology.
The strategy, launched in 2017, is being led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and encompasses buildings, vehicles and government services. Safety and security fleets, such as warships, Coast Guard vessels, aircraft and tanks, are also covered.
CBC News obtained an advance copy of the news release.
25 new projects approved
The news release didn’t say whether the government’s emissions reductions were independently verified, and no detailed report was released with an individual breakdown by department. It’s also unclear to what extent Crown corporations — like the one managing the Trans Mountain pipeline — were captured.
The government’s news release also doesn’t distinguish between indirect, or Scope 3, emissions — pollution generated by the government’s suppliers or the products or services the government offers.
The federal government is the nation’s largest employer and owns or manages the largest fixed asset portfolio — more than 30,000 buildings, more than 40,000 vehicles and thousands of bridges, dams and other engineered assets. Ottawa is also the country’s largest buyer, with annual procurement exceeding $40 billion.
Its own actions could help push Crown corporations, suppliers, funding recipients, provinces and municipalities toward greener options.
“The government of Canada is reducing emissions across its own operations and using practical solutions to support a cleaner, more resilient future,” said Shafqat Ali, the president of the Treasury Board, said in the news release.
Ali has announced the approval of 25 new projects through the Greening Government Fund that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The projects include recycling excess energy from scientific equipment and low-carbon fuel options for the military.
The fund has provided more that $80 million to lower emissions from government operations across over 130 projects.
“These projects show how practical, made-in-Canada solutions can reduce pollution, save energy and support a cleaner future for Canadians,” said Julie Dabrusin, the minister of environment, climate change and nature.
Projections show that Canada will fall well short of its 2030 climate goal — roughly halfway to its target of a 40 to 45 per cent emissions reduction below 2005 levels.
With the current climate measures, Canada is on track to reduce its emissions by 21 per cent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade. If the government implements additional climate policies, a recent progress report projects the country could see a 28 per cent reduction.
Source: cbc
