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Aussies Feeling the Heat of Global Warming

February 15, 2017 Add Comment Edit

Australia continues its warming trend and scientists know that this is due to anthropogenic climate change. Even though carbon emissions were flat for the third straight year, 2016 was still the hottest year on record. Sixteen of the 17 hottest years on record have occurred since the dawn of the new millennium. According to the World Meteorological Association, 2016 was 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer on average than temperatures for the preindustrial Earth. That is only .3 degrees Celsius below the upper threshold limit of 1.5-degree-Celsius. Extreme heat is not just a source of discomfort it can be deadly. The Australian Climate Council says that more people have been killed by heat in the last century than any other natural disaster.

Heat records fell like flies last year and this was certainly true in the Arctic. We know that the buildup of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide (CO2) cause global warming. In May 2016, the Mauna Loa Observatory recorded 407.7 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere, the highest levels of atmospheric carbon ever recorded.

At the end of last year in Australia, there was record heat and drought. The heat continued into the new year with January breaking temperature records in Sydney and Brisbane. In January Sydney broke more records than any month since record taking began in 1858. The hot weather is continuing into the middle of February with some of the hottest temperatures of the summer in Sydney and Melbourne. Even Queensland saw temperatures exceeding 40 degree Celsius. The extreme heat has also contributed to 48 forest fires in New South Wales. Previous research has shown that bush fires are related to climate change.

Inside Climate News reports that heat waves have become more frequent in Australia. This is the view of Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick of Australia's Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales:

"In Canberra, Australia's capital, the number of heat wave days has doubled in the past 60 years. In that same time, the beginning of the heatwave season in Sydney has advanced by three weeks, and in Melbourne, heatwaves are hotter," Perkins-Kirkpatrick said. "What's really interesting about this event is that all the physical mechanisms that drive heat waves are not in place."

What makes the Australian heat even more remarkable is that it is taking place in the absence of the kind of El Niño and hemispheric wind patterns that normally drive warmer weather. Scientists agree that climate change has a salient role to play. Forest and fire ecologist David Bowman said anthropogenic global warming is making the Earth and Australia hotter.

"In the last few years it has crossed a line—the anomalous weather has become consistently anomalous. I am confident we are seeing climate change play out in bush fires," Bowman said. "We have frittered away precious time debating abstractions or missing the point entirely. Numerous extreme events, seem unfortunately, the only things to spur broader social change."

Australia is far from the only place hit by extreme heat. In parts of South America, records are also being broken and massive wildfires have consumed hundreds of thousands of acres.

As reported by the Guardian, Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Agata Imielska said that climate change is driving up temperatures.

“One factor is the ongoing warming trend – we’ve warmed by a degree in the past century and it’s not just about averages, we see increases in these extreme temperatures as well,” Imielska said. “It doesn’t just go for land temperatures, it also goes for ocean temperatures. In 2016 we saw the warmest ocean temperatures on record.”

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the heat will continue right through into March. Going forward the situation will only get worse. As greenhouse gasses continue to build up in the atmosphere the hot temperatures will increase.

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The End of Fossil Fuel Subsidies

May 31, 2016 Add Comment Edit

Providing handouts to the wealthiest corporations on earth does not make much sense, particularly when their activities are the leading driver of climate change. Ending fossil fuel subsidies is the most obvious next step in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis. In the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement forged at COP21, continuing fossil fuel subsidies is an oxymoron.

These subsidies take many forms including, tax breaks, cheap loans, price controls, purchase requirements, purchasing equipment, royalty breaks and direct spending. According to some reports there are over 800 ways that taxpayers support the fossil fuel industry.

According to the IMF, global energy subsidies amount to 5.3 trillion dollars, or $10 million a minute. This translates to 6.5 percent of global GDP, in 2015 alone. This is more than the entire health spending of all the world’s governments. The IMF suggests that removing fossil fuel subsidies could reduce greenhouse gas emission by 20 percent. Everybody from Prince Charles to the IMF have called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

Nicholas Stern, climate economist at the London School of Economics, said: “There is no justification for these enormous subsidies for fossil fuels, which distort markets and damages economies, particularly in poorer countries.”

Christiana Figueres, the UN’s climate change chief commented: “The IMF provides five trillion reasons for acting on fossil fuel subsidies. Protecting the poor and the vulnerable is crucial to the phasing down of these subsidies, but the multiple economic, social and environmental benefits are long and legion.”

The president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, succinctly stated: “We need to get rid of fossil fuel subsidies now.”

Shelagh Whitley, a subsidies expert at the Overseas Development Institute, said: “governments around the world are propping up a century-old energy model. Compounding the issue, our research shows that many of the energy subsidies highlighted by the IMF go toward finding new reserves of oil, gas and coal, which we know must be left in the ground if we are to avoid catastrophic, irreversible climate change.”

The world's biggest providers of fossil fuel subsidies are China, ($2.3tn) US ($700bn), Russia ($335bn), India ($277bn) and Japan ($157bn), and the European Union ($330bn).

By making fossil fuels cheaper, subsidies increase the use of dirty energy resulting in more emissions. A new report shows how subsidies are increasing our emissions. According to the report's author Radek Stefansk from The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary:

“The resultant 170-country, 30-year database finds that the financial and the environmental costs of such subsidies are enormous- and steadily increasing. The overwhelming majority of the world’s fossil fuel subsidies stem from China, the US, and the ex-USSR; as of 2010, this figure was $712 billion or nearly 80% of the total world value of subsidies. For its part, Canada has been subsidizing rather than taxing fossil fuels since 1998. By 2010, Canadian subsidies sat at $13 billion, or 1.4% of GDP. In that same year, the total direct and indirect financial costs of all such subsidies amounted to $1.82 trillion, or 3.8% of global GDP.”

Perhaps the most noteworthy statistic contained in the report show that in the absence of subsidies emissions would have been cut in half in 2010.

IMF

Numerous other studies including IMF research have come to similar conclusion as the Policy School study. The IMF called these subsidies "unsustainable"." The IMF described these subsidies as "perverse" saying "they are using public funds to create a problem the world has agreed to fix in Paris. And they leave us all to pay the societal costs that fossil-fuel pollution causes."

Ending the subsidies would also reduce the number of premature deaths from air pollution by half translating to about 1.6 million lives a year.

In 2014, IMF leader Christine Lagarde said reducing subsidies for fossil fuels and pricing carbon pollution should be priorities for governments around the world.

“We are subsidizing the very behaviour that is destroying our planet, and on an enormous scale. Both direct subsidies and the loss of tax revenue from fossil fuels ate up almost $2 trillion in 2011—this is about the same as the total GDP of countries like Italy or Russia,” Lagarde said.

G7

In 2009 the G7 (composed of UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the European Union) announced that it would end fossil fuel subsidies but no timelines were given. At a recent meeting of the G7 in Japan, the world's wealthiest economies have agreed to end fossil fuel subsidies in the next decade.

“Given the fact that energy production and use account for around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, we recognise the crucial role that the energy sector has to play in combating climate change,” said the leaders’ declaration, issued at the end their summit in Japan.

G20

In 2009, G20 countries promised to phase out "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies. According to a report titled "Empty Promises: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal production," G20 countries are spending $452 billion US a year in direct subsidies to their respective fossil fuel industries. The study's co-author Alex Doukas, who is senior campaigner with Oil Change International, said,

"We're subsidizing companies to search for new fossil fuel reserves at time when we know that three-quarters of the proven reserves have to stay in the ground if we hope to avoid the worst impacts of climate change...So paying companies to find more fossil fuels is folly."

The report was produced jointly by Oil Change International, an advocacy group focused on moving the world away from fossil fuels, and the Overseas Development Institute, the U.K.'s leading independent think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues.

US

Despite numerous attempts to remove these subsidies in the US Congress (primarily the Republicans) have thwarted these efforts. The fossil fuel industry owns the Republican party who have consistently shown their loyalty to an industry that is rife with corruption and subterfuge. Internationally, the leaders from over 50 countries have made public commitments to phase out fossil fuel subsidies in the “medium term.” However there has not been much concrete action to date.

Canada

Canada's total federal and provincial support for the petroleum industry was close to $2.7 billion US ($3.6 billion Cdn at current exchange rates) in the 2013-14 fiscal year, with federal subsidies accounting for roughly $1.6 billion. In his election platform, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged his government would end fossil fuel subsidies.

COP21

During the COP21 conference at the end of 2015, the UNFCCC released a statement which read: “An unprecedented coalition of close to 40 governments, hundreds of businesses and influential international organisations has called today for accelerated action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, a move that would help bridge the gap to keep global temperature rise below 2°C.”

John Key, the New Zealand Prime Minister, presented the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué to Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Key said:

“Fossil fuel subsidy reform is the missing piece of the climate change puzzle. It’s estimated that more than a third of global carbon emissions, between 1980 and 2010, were driven by fossil fuel subsidies.

Figueres said in accepting the Communiqué: “These subsidies contribute to the inefficient use of fossil fuels, undermine the development of energy efficient technologies, act as a drag on clean, green energy deployment and in many developing countries do little to assist the poorest of the poor in the first place...low oil prices are a good opportunity to really get going on this issue.”

Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden, said: “History will prove fossil fuel to be a dead end. Sweden will be amongst the first fossil free welfare nations of the world. And eliminating fossil fuel subsidies is an important step on this path.”

Hakima El Haite, Environment Minister of Morocco, candidate for the presidency of COP22, said: “Not only do fossil fuel subsidies put a strain on government coffers but they also don’t help the poorest of society.”

Solutions

The end of fossil fuel subsidies is coming and there are ways that we can expedite this transition. As reviewed by Price of Oil here are four major ways we can address the problem of subsidies:

Increased transparency – governments must stop hiding the handouts they give to fossil fuel companies!
Support for the poor and vulnerable – we need to be sure that poor countries and communities are supported to ensure access to energy while removing these subsidies.
Global coordination – without a way for the world to coordinate on this effort, countries will continue to drag their heels.
Phase-out Deadline – we all know that unless you have a deadline, you’re apt to procrastinate. It’s time to set one for fossil fuel subsidy elimination!

Fossil Fuel Subsidies and Renewable Energy Post COP21 (Infographic)

December 26, 2015 Add Comment Edit

One of the most important things we can do to curb climate change is to end fossil fuel subsidies. This would reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned and it would level the playing field for clean renewable sources of energy. Event thought 60 percent of all new investment is going into renewable energy fossil fuels still get the lions share of subsidies. The International Energy Agency (IEA) say that government subsidies for fossil fuels are 12 times greater than those for renewable energy.

It is estimated that removing fossil fuel subsidies would reduce greenhouse gas emission by 10 per cent by 2050.

As reported in the New Yorker, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that there are $5.3 trillion worth of fossil fuel subsidies in 2015 or six and a half percent of global G.D.P.. This breaks down to $10 million a minute or more than the entire health spending of all the world’s governments.

According to Reuters fossil fuel subsidies exceed climate aid by a ratio of 40 to 1.

Jake Schmidt, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "Given tight budget times and the need to address global warming, subsidising activities that are heating the planet just doesn't make sense. The only beneficiaries of fossil fuel subsidies are oil, gas and coal companies that are raking in record profits at the expense of the rest of us."

Prince Charles said the governments must end fossil fuel subsidies. Realizing the dream of ending fossil fuel subsidies was brought one step closer at the recent COP21 climate meetings in Paris.

Almost 40 countries have endorsed the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué, including: Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Samoa, the U.S., Uganda and Uruguay.

According to the UNFCCC statement: “An unprecedented coalition of close to 40 governments, hundreds of businesses and influential international organisations has called today for accelerated action to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, a move that would help bridge the gap to keep global temperature rise below 2°C.”

John Key, the New Zealand Prime Minister, presented the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué at the Paris Conference said: “Fossil fuel subsidy reform is the missing piece of the climate change puzzle. It’s estimated that more than a third of global carbon emissions, between 1980 and 2010, were driven by fossil fuel subsidies...Their elimination would represent one seventh of the effort needed to achieve our target of ensuring global temperatures do not rise by more than 2°C. As with any subsidy reform, change will take courage and strong political will, but with oil prices at record lows and the global focus on a low carbon future—the timing for this reform has never been better.”

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said in accepting the Communiqué: “These subsidies contribute to the inefficient use of fossil fuels, undermine the development of energy efficient technologies, act as a drag on clean, green energy deployment and in many developing countries do little to assist the poorest of the poor in the first place.

Some wrongly argue that fossil fuel subsidies help the poorest members of society. According to the IEA said. Just 8 percent of aid reached the poorest 20 percent of each country’s population last year. Most of the benefits—85% to 90%—typically accrue to those on middle incomes and the wealthy

Hakima El Haite, Environment Minister of Morocco, candidate for the presidency of COP22, said: “Not only do fossil fuel subsidies put a strain on government coffers but they also don’t help the poorest of society.”

In 2011 President Obama's attempts to eliminate $4 billion in oil and gas subsidies from the U.S. budget was denied by Congress. However in the US and around the world pressure is growing to definitively end subsidies that are wrecking the climate and imperiling life on earth.

Here is an infographic that does a good job of visually illustrating the issue of fossil fuel subsidies:

Throne Speech Reiterates Canada's Commitment to Climate Action

December 04, 2015 Add Comment Edit

In his first throne speech, the newly elected Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau reiterated his campaign promises, including his government's commitment to combating climate change. Last month when Trudeau shared his mandate letters he indicated that he would provide more details in this throne speech. The speech outlined the PMO's priorities for the coming session of parliament, it referred to an approach that was, "smart, and caring—on a scale as never before." While the speech confirms that Trudeau is serious about fulfilling his campaign promises, it did not offer much detail.

Delivering on these promises will be difficult in the wake of a decade of failed Conservative leadership. The Speech was prepared by the prime minister's office and was read by Governor General David Johnston on Friday December 4.

Here are some climate related excerpts from the official transcript:

"Protecting the environment and growing the economy are not incompatible goals; in fact, our future success demands that we do both. Last week, first ministers met ahead of the international climate change talks—a first step in an important and ongoing process. Working together, the Government will continue to provide leadership as Canada works toward putting a price on carbon and reducing carbon pollution."

"To encourage economic growth, the Government will make strategic investments in clean technology, provide more support for companies seeking to export those technologies, and lead by example in their use. And as part of efforts to restore public trust, the Government will introduce new environmental assessment processes."

"Public input will be sought and considered. Environmental impacts will be understood and minimized. Decisions will be informed by scientific evidence. And Indigenous peoples will be more fully engaged in reviewing and monitoring major resource development projects."

"And recognizing that public investment is needed to create and support economic growth, job creation and economic prosperity, the Government will make significant new investments in public transit, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure."

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Canadian PM and Provinces Unified for COP21

November 26, 2015 Add Comment Edit

On Monday November 23 Canadian premiers met with the Prime Minister to discuss a national strategy on climate change ahead of COP21. Provincial leaders will be attending the December climate talks alongside the Prime Minister. Although emissions reduction is a provincial prerogative, Ottawa will provide powerful incentives to the provinces for their emissions reduction achievements.

Trudeau has repeatedly stated that his government is prepared to ensure that Canada does it part to contain climate change.Trudeau has been making good on his commitments to advance climate action. At the meetings of the G20 and APEC last week Trudeau encouraged members to engage the struggle against global warming. Now the meeting with Canadian premieres prepares the way for Canada to play a constructive role at the forthcoming UN sponsored climate negotiations.

"We'll demonstrate that we are serious about climate change," Trudeau said in a speech at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. "This means making decisions based on science, it means reducing carbon emissions, including through carbon pricing towards a climate resilient economy. It means collaborating with our provincial and territorial partners, supporting climate change efforts in developing countries and investing in sustainable economic prosperity."

This climate conference is the first time that there has been a meeting between the leader of the federal government and his provincial counterparts in seven years. In stark contrast to his predecessor Conservative leader Stephen Harper, the new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has indicated that he will work in closely with the provinces.

There are some dramatic policy differences between the two governments. When they were in power the Conservatives rejected climate action including the idea of a carbon tax, while the Liberals have a climate focused policy agenda that promises some form of carbon pricing.

Canadians support efforts to combat global warming. Last April, six months before Canadians decisively rejected the Harper government, more than 25,000 people gathered in Quebec City to demand climate action from provincial leaders. According to a poll commissioned by Canada's Climate Action Network, almost three quarters of Canadians want the country to lead global climate protection efforts.

Canada's current emissions reduction target is 30 percent below 2005 levels and the new Liberal environment minister, Catherine McKenna, has said her government hopes to set an even more ambitious goal. Achieving such goals will be difficult in the absence of a tar sands strategy. However, the new premiere of Alberta, home of the tar sands, has already made some ambitious pledges of her own. Her new energy strategy including a carbon tax, phase-out of coal-fired power plants and an all important cap on tar sands emissions.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet the first ministers again in 90 days where he has promised to deliver a national climate action strategy that will include specific emissions reduction targets.

"We will continue over the next 90 days after Paris to ensure we come forward together not just with strong targets but also a with credible plan to achieve these targets," he said, speaking Monday after the meeting. "It's not enough just to have a target, we need to have a plan to achieve that target."

The Premiere of Saskatchewan Brad Wall just announced that his province will get half of its energy from renewables by 2030. Wall expressed concern about the economic impact of implementing carbon-cutting measures amid low oil prices.

Despite Wall's concerns, there was a unified front from all present at the meeting. Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski, the chairman of the provincial Council of the Federation, said Canada will have a "co-ordinated" voice at COP21, "and certainly a different voice going out to the world."

Trudeau said that Canada's climate strategy is ambitious and recognizes provincial efforts. He also said that he and the provinces are ready to act together to fight climate change.

The Federal Provincial meeting is yet another reason to be believe that Canada will shed its reputation as a climate laggard and become a global champion of climate action.

"Alberta’s new climate strategy, combined with a new federal government that is a true climate change partner for the provinces and territories, positions Canada to enter the Paris conference with a united voice. This unity is a departure from the past." said Kathleen Wynne, the Premier of Ontario.

While some may dismiss these efforts as little more than clever rebranding, under Trudeau's Liberals Canada appears to be an earnest partner in the global push to combat climate change.

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What Canadian Provinces are Doing to Combat Climate Change

November 25, 2015 Add Comment Edit

Climate action is largely a provincial matter in Canada. This is the view of both the former Conservative government and the newly elected Liberals. This means that provincial and territorial climate plans are crucially important to Canada's collective effort.

Alberta

The newly elected premiere of Alberta is Rachel Notley. Alberta generates 249.3 Mt CO2 per year representing 35.7 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Notley has announced sweeping reforms to the province's energy sector that are intended to balance the economic concerns with climate concerns. The plan includes an economy-wide price on carbon, the phase out of coal, methane reductions l and a commitment to renewables and energy efficiency. The goal is to derive nearly one-third of the province's power from renewables by 2030. The plan also includes a 100-megatonne cap on carbon emissions from the tar sands (it currently emits 70 megatonnes annually).

The government of Alberta has put together a climate change panel, chaired by Andrew Leach, the University of Alberta environmental economist. The panel will examine a wide assortment of potential actions and deliver a report to the government in the fall.

The NDP's climate-change policy puts Alberta on track to reduce emissions by approximately 20 megatonnes in 2020 and 50 megatonnes by 2030.

British Columbia

The Premier of British Columbia is Christy Clark, the provinces Annual GHG emissions are 60.1 Mt CO2 representing 8.6 percent of Canada's emissions. B.C. invested $5.2 billion in renewable energy from 2010 to 2014, There are a number of climate concerns that are in evidence in BC including the fact that the provinces glaciers are melting. In 2008, B.C. imposed a carbon tax that has been a driver of economic growth.

Since its inception in 2008, B.C. has reduced its annual CO2 emissions by 2.2 gigatonnes, taking strides towards its goal of a 33 per cent reduction from 2005 levels by 2020.

B.C. is steadily building green infrastructure to power a decarbonized economy, such as new buildings that use ‘net zero carbon.’ The province is even greening its fossil fuel sector, using electricity to power gas wells instead of burning the product itself for fuel and cutting pollution rates.

"British Columbia has a growing number of clean-tech companies that have produced the services developed for the B.C. market that they can now export abroad," said Dan Woynillowicz, policy director at Clean Energy Canada.

Clark has pledged to deny provincial operating permits to both Northern Gateway and Kinder Morgan’s TransMountain expansion unless they meet five conditions ranging from safety to profit sharing.

Manitoba

The Premier of Manitoba is Greg Selinger. The provinces annual GHG emissions (2012) are 21.2 Mt CO2 or 3.03 percent of the Canadian total. Since taking office in 2009, Premier Greg Selinger has been outspoken on climate change and Manitoba’s need to adapt and take action. His administration held knowledge-sharing sessions with experts in neighboring Wisconsin; he’s spoken at sustainability conferences in India and committed to a robust set of climate adaptation goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels, to about 17.5 megatonnes.

Manitoba invested $1.7 billion in renewable energy from 2010 to 2014 and in October 2015, the province became the first in Canada to sign on in support of the Blue Dot movement. The Blue Dot movement enshrines in law people's rights to clean air, water and soil.

Selinger says Manitoba is aiming to be a leader in developing electric vehicles to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Manitoba government is investing $3 million to develop a model for an all-electric transit bus in partnership with Winnipeg-based bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Manitoba Hydro and Red River College. The province is also putting up money to create an electric-vehicle learning and demonstration centre at Red River College.

New Brunswick

The Premier of New Brunswick is Brian Gallant. The province's annual GHG emissions (2012) are 16.4 Mt CO2 or 2.35 percent of the Canadian total. Gallant has imposed a moratorium on fracking across the province. However, he has done little else to support climate action. Speaking at January news conference, Gallant said:

"There's no doubt as a nation we have to do a better job on climate change…On top of that, we also have to have a conversation about developing our economy throughout the country in a responsible way. We believe the Energy East pipeline is one that will help us grow our economy, create jobs; it's one we that we can do, we believe, in a sustainable way."

Nova Scotia

The Premier of Nova Scotia is Stephen McNeil. The provinces annual GHG emissions (2012) are 19.0 Mt CO2 or 2.7 percent of the Canadian total. In 2010 McNeil implemented a law that required the province to meet 25 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources. The province is now on track for a second goal: generating 40 per cent of its electricity by 2020. In fall 2014, the province also imposed a moratorium on onshore fracking.

Speaking to delegates at a conference, Premier McNeil said, “Nova Scotia is a small province with a big future in sustainable energy. We're addressing climate change and the need for a lower carbon future by embracing change through innovation that focuses on one of our greatest advantages — our proximity to the ocean and its tides.”

Newfoundland and Labrador

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is Paul Davis. The provinces annual GHG emissions (2012) are 8.7 Mt CO2 or 1.2 percent of the Canadian total. In the 2014 election Davis won his seat by pledging to protect the province’s offshore oil and gas extraction industry and ensure the billions of dollars it generates in royalties are better shared around the province.

On Friday April 10, Premier Davis announced his plan to attend a premiers climate summit, citing an opportunity “to discuss best practices and future solutions in the fight against climate change and strengthen intergovernmental cooperation.”

The Premier NWT is Bob McLeod and the Premier of Nunavut is Peter Taptuna. The Annual combined GHG emissions (2012) of both places is 1.7 Mt CO2 or 0.24 percent of the Canadian total. The vast expanse of land has about the same amount of GHG emissions as the tiny province of Prince Edward Island.

In 2014, the Premiers of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut met in Iqaluit to develop a strategy document for northern Canada, entitled ‘A Northern Vision.’ In it they agree that “clean, reliable, affordable energy is the backbone of a sustainable economy, is essential for the well-being of northerners, and fosters investment and economic growth in the North.”

Ontario

The Premier of Ontario is Kathleen Wynne. The Annual GHG emissions (2012) of the province is 166.9 Mt CO2 or 23.9 percent of the Canadian total. This is the highest GHG total of any province in Canada except Alberta. Ontario has invested $12.7 billion in renewable energy from 2010-2014. In April, Ontario joined Quebec and California to implement the world’s largest carbon cap-and-trade market that is worth more than $1 billion.

Wynne has instituted a province-wide Smart Grid program, a $24 million initiative to fund energy storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, and micro-grids. These programs have created hundreds of jobs.

Her predecessor Dalton McGuinty passed the Green Energy Act in 2012, and pushed forward legislation to end urban sprawl, protect clean drinking water and limit toxic chemicals in manufacturing. The Green Energy Act spawned SolarShare, an organization that has now sold $10 million in solar bonds to regular people and built six megawatts of solar projects worth $30 million. Wynne has elaborated on the work of McGuinty and seems poised to take things even further and removed all coal-fired power production. She has also pledged seven conditions before new pipeline infrastructure projects such as Energy East will be allowed to go forward.

Together with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, Wynne helped to development the Canadian Energy Strategy — the framework for the Premier’s Climate Summit last spring.

The combination of shutting coal plants, increasing renewables have helped the province to reduce its GHGs.

"Getting off coal is the single largest climate change initiative being undertaken in North America, equivalent to taking up to seven million cars off the road," says Bob Chiarelli, Ontario’s minister of energy."

Ontario is achieving its energy goals and it has built a thriving renewable energy industry that is providing jobs and helping the economy to grow.

Ontario has than 23,329 microFIT small rooftop solar projects have been installed with 2,356 megawatts of solar PV Ontario also has also installed 3,498 megawatts of wind and another 2,228 megawatts are under development, making it the leader in wind energy in Canada. Even, Ontario Power Generation, the organization that used to run Ontario’s coal powered electricity plants, is now building solar farms on the sites of those former coal plants. Ontario is also a leader in biomass and biogas projects. Ontario is on track to get a quarter to a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2021.

Despite small increases in the price of energy, the people of Ontario remain strong supporters of solar and wind energy. A 2015 poll commissioned by the Canadian Solar Industries Association found that 77 per cent of Ontarians believe that their provincial government needs to invest more in solar.

Ontario has also mandated a build-out of 50 megawatts of energy storage; three utility-scale projects that add up 34 megawatts worth of energy storage are being built right now.

Ontario is a climate change leader in Canada. As such Ontario is a model for other Canadian provinces and territories.

Prince Edward Island

The Premier of PEI is Wade MacLauchlan. The annual GHG emissions (2012): 1.9 Mt CO2 or 0.27 percent of the Canadian totals. In his speech accepting the title of premier designate, Mclauchlan called P.E.I. a world leader in renewable energy, but said we can do more as “an important first step as we turn our attention to climate change.”

Quebec

Quebec's current premiere is Phillippe Couillard. In 2012 the province had GHG emissions of 78.3 Mt CO2 representing a total of 11.2 percent of Canada's emissions. Quebec invested $8.6 billion in renewable energy from 2010 to 2014.

Couillard has worked closely with Ontario Premier Wynne on developing the Canadian Energy Strategy and his administration implemented a cap-and-trade scheme in partnership with California starting in January of this year. He opposed the Energy East pipeline and fracking. He’s also repeatedly said that he hopes for Quebec to have an important voice at the COP21 Summit in Paris.

"I will ensure that Quebec is not only present, but also that it has the opportunity to make its voice heard."

Electricity will play an increasingly important role in transportation and the government of Quebec has provided incentives for the buyers of hybrid vehicles.

As of April 2015, Quebec alone had generated $330 million in revenue from its cap and trade program, and the province expects to get $2.5 billion by selling permits to high-polluting industries. These revenues are helping to fund Quebec’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Four months later, Quebec earned another $205 million from its fourth carbon auction held jointly with California, money that will fund the implementation of measures in that province’s 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan.

“The carbon market is the centerpiece of Québec’s strategy for fighting climate change. In addition to ensuring GHG emission reductions, it is a green fiscal tool that bolsters the re-launching and sustainable development of our economy," said David Heurtel, whose lengthy job title is Quebec’s 'Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change.'

"By 2020, more than 3.3 billion dollars will have been invested to support Québec’s businesses, municipalities and private citizens in their transition to a low-carbon world," said Heurtel. "Together, we can fight climate change in order to ensure a better quality of life for our children."

Saskatchewan

The premiere of Saskatchewan is Brad Wall. The provinces annual GHG emissions (2012) are 74.8 Mt CO2 or 10.7 percent of the Canadian total. Wall recently announced that his province will get half of its energy from renewables by 2030. This includes a combination of wind, solar and geothermal energy. To achieve this goal the province will have to double its renewable energy production. Saskatchewan currently gets 25 percent of its power from renewable sources, mostly wind and hydro.

Yukon Territory

The premier of the Yukon is Darrell Pasloski. The Territory's annual GHG emissions (2012): 0.4 Mt CO2 or 0.06 percent of the Canadian total. In 2012 Pasloski’s government announced:

"Rather than commit to an arbitrary target based on estimated projections of Yukon’s economic growth, the government is working with key players in the electricity, building and energy efficiency, industrial, and transportation sectors to identify actions that will lead to realistic and measurable outcomes to minimize growth in Yukon’s overall GHG emissions."

Instead, the government has committed to a reduction in emissions for its own internal operations — 20 per cent lower than 2010 levels by 2015.

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Alberta's New Climate Plan is a Quantum Leap Forward

November 24, 2015 Add Comment Edit

The new NDP government in Alberta led by Premier Rachel Notley has announced sweeping reforms to the province's energy sector that are intended to balance the economic concerns with climate concerns. The plan includes an economy-wide price on carbon, the phase out of coal and a commitment to renewables and energy efficiency.

The former leader of Alberta, Progressive Conservative Premier Jim Prentice was a Federal Minister of Environment in the Harper Conservative cabinet. His federal and provincial track record on the environment and climate change was less than impressive.

When he was in power, Prentice said he supported the idea of “the provinces [finding] common ground on energy and the environment, and [enforcing] fair, clear, well thought-out rules,” but he never offered any concrete action. Between 2010 and 2014 Alberta invested a mere $2.3 billion in renewable energy.

Under the former provincial government of premiere Prentice Alberta generated an average of 249.3 Mt CO2 representing 35.7 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Alberta's high levels of GHG emissions were due largely to the tar sands, Canada’s fastest-growing source of emissions. Between 1990 and 2013 the province's GHGs increased by 53 percent.

"Our goal is to become one of the world's most progressive and forward-looking energy producers," said the new Alberta Premiere. "We are turning the page on the mistaken policies of the past, policies that have failed to provide the leadership our province needed."

Alberta has a long history of oil spills, but the most egregious climate crime emanate from attempts to expand the tar sands. The collapsing price of oil has made the tar sands far less viable as has the failure to build pipelines. Efforts to expand the tar sands have been impeded by President Obama's cancellation of the Keystone XL, and domestic resistance to the other pipelines (the Energy East, Northern Gateway, Kinder Morgan). The new federal Liberal government has promised a careful review of the nation's pipeline projects.

The tar sands have been significantly undermined by low oil prices and this has wreaked economic havoc on the province of Alberta and the nation as a whole. There have been 37,000 job losses in Alberta and the provincial economy is in recession.

Alberta has the dirtiest oil on the planet and the expansion of the tar sands will negate global efforts to reign in climate change. The tar sands have been called "filth" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and "hypocritical" by Canadian Rock legend Neil Young who compared the tar sands mining operations to Hiroshima

The federal government's complicity with the tar sands industry began to unravel with the election of the NDP and the subsequent rejection of the Harper Conservatives. There are a number of lessons that can be learned from the Conservative's failed bet on fossil fuels. Under the former provincial government Alberta has not capitalized on opportunities to drive the province forward.

In 2007, the Conservative provincial government of Alberta government implemented a token carbon tax of $15/tonne for large emitters. Shortly after coming to power in 2015 the new NDP government announced that it will double the province’s carbon tax on large emitters by 2017. Under the new framework the province's 103 major GHG emitters (largely from the fossil fuel industry) must lower their emissions by 20 percent below baseline, with a $30-per-tonne levy for emissions above that target.

Although this represents progress in the right direction it has been criticized as inadequate. “It’s not going to drive the meaningful reductions or give the market incentives that we need,” said Ed Whittingham, executive director of the Pembina Institute. Pembina advocates for a $40-per-tonne levy with a 40 per cent emissions reduction target.

There are three options for companies that exceed their emissions quotas:

Carbon offsets
Alberta Emission Performance Credits (similar to carbon offsets but rewarded based on performance)
The Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund, which funds climate change projects

The new government of Alberta has put together a climate change panel, chaired by Andrew Leach, the University of Alberta environmental economist. The panel will examine a wide assortment of potential actions and deliver a report to the government.

Alberta’s new climate plans were announced on Sunday November 22. The plan includes the phase out of coal-fired power by 2030 (the province currently has 18 coal-fired electricity plants that generate 55 percent of the province’s electricity) and cuts to methane emissions from flaring and leakage by 45 per cent from 2014 levels by 2025. The plan will also provide incentives for renewable energy with the goal of getting nearly one-third of power generated from renewables by 2030.

"Alberta is leading again," Ms. Notley said. "The government of Alberta is going to stop being the problem and we are going to start being the solution."

In addition to phasing out coal power, reducing methane emissions and incentivizing renewables, the NDP's newly announced climate rules will impose a 100-megatonne cap on carbon emissions from the tar sands (it currently emits 70 megatonnes annually). There will be an economy-wide tax of $20 per tonne on carbon-dioxide emissions starting in 2017, rising to $30 in 2018.

"The oil-sands emissions limit will give the world certainty that our emissions will not grow unchecked. It’s a game changer and will change the debate about the oil sands industry doing its part to address climate change," said Ed Whittingham, executive director of the Pembina Institute, an environmental think tank.

Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd said the province’s NDP government will both take a leadership role on the climate-change file and stand up for Alberta’s energy industry. The fossil fuel industry knows that change is coming and it wants clarity. This has prompted TransAlta Corp., Suncor Energy Inc., Shell Canada, Cenovus Energy Inc. Canadian Natural Resources Ltd to support the NDP's new climate rules.

The NDP's climate-change policy puts Alberta on track to reduce emissions by approximately 20 megatonnes in 2020 and 50 megatonnes by 2030.

The new carbon tax is expected to raise $3-billion annually by 2018 Some of the new revenue will be spent on a green climate fund that will spur technology to fight climate change and an "adjustment fund" to help lower earning people in the province to cope with the changes. The average household will see heating and transportation costs increase by $470 annually by 2018. In addition to the rebates afforded by the adjustment fund, the $3 billion raised by carbon taxes will go towards building green infrastructure and public transit. The government will also create efficiency programs to help people reduce their energy use.

"We need to step up to the climate change issue,” Notley said. “The simple fact is this: Alberta can’t let its emissions grow without limit....But we can grow our economy by applying technology to reduce our carbon output per barrel. And that is what this limit will promote"

"This is the day that we set a better course for our economic future," Notley said. "This is the day that we start to mobilize capital and resources to create green jobs, green energy, green infrastructure and a strong, environmentally responsible, sustainable and visionary Alberta energy industry with a great future … This is the day we stop denying there is an issue, and this is the day we do our part."

Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change: “This is a strong, positive step in the right direction. We want to send a clear signal to Canadians and our partners around the world that Canada is back and ready to play our part ... Alberta is taking a leadership position on phasing out coal, and as Minister of Environment and Climate Change, I will be looking at ways to help accelerate the reduction of coal power right across the country."

Greenpeace applauded the move by the new government of Alberta but they said that they would like to see emission reduction targets.

"Targets give an important signal to business, let the world know where Alberta is headed, and help ensure that direction leads to the reductions that science and equity demand," said spokesman Mike Hudema, climate and energy campaigner for Greenpeace. He went on to say, "These policies are important first steps, but much bigger emission reductions will be needed for Alberta to do its part to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius."

The proposed emissions cap and will not be enough to keep temperatures from warming more than the internationally agreed upon upper threshold limit of 2 degrees Celsius. To ensure we can meet this target we will need to freeze tar sands expansion.

Nonetheless, Al Gore said, "This is also another powerful signal — well-timed on the eve of the Paris negotiations — that humanity is beginning to win our struggle to solve the climate crisis."

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Saskatchewan to Get Half of its Energy from Renewables

November 23, 2015 Add Comment Edit

Last week Brad Wall the premiere of Saskatchewan announced that his province will get half of its energy from renewables by 2030. This includes a combination of wind, solar and geothermal energy. To achieve this goal the province will have to double its renewable energy production. Saskatchewan currently gets 25 percent of its power from renewable sources, mostly wind and hydro.

This is welcome news from a province that has been repeatedly identified as a climate laggard. In a 2014 report titled "Tracking the Energy Revolution" from the climate think tank, Clean Energy Canada, Saskatchewan was singled out as one of the worst provinces in Canada in terms of its renewable energy efforts.

Saskatchewan has been ranked as the worst province in Canada for its climate efforts. Despite being one of the least populated provinces, Saskatchewan has the fourth highest levels of emission in Canada accounting for 10 percent of the nation's greenhouse gases (GHGs). This is noteworthy because Saskatchewan's emissions are even higher than the far more developed province of B.C. Emissions in the province increased by 7.6 percent (5.3 Mt) between 2005 and 2013.

Saskatchewan is also the worst per capita GHG emitters in a country that itself has high per capita GHG levels. Saskatchewan generates more per capita GHGs than Alberta, Canada's fossil fuel producing giant.

The people of Saskatchewan have been slow to accept the anthropogenic origins of climate change. A 2012 poll revealed that only 21 percent of that provinces population believed that climate change is man-made. This is the lowest percentage of any province in Canada. A 2014 poll shows that Saskatchewan has the lowest levels of belief in the science of climate change. However a more recent poll reveals that the people of Saskatchewan want more renewable energy.

The combination of climate related events and the demise of the oil industry may have played a role in changing attitudes in the province. This summer Saskatchewan has suffered from some of the most destructive climate related forest fires in its history. Low oil prices have hurt the provinces own oil industry and this is having a ripple effect on the wider economy. Under the former Conservative federal government the province received considerable financial support for a carbon capture project. However, the plant has been operational less than half of the time and it has yet to prove that it is economically viable.

At a news conference Wall told reporters the 50 percent target is “achievable, and that’s what we’re going to be moving toward.” Wall added that renewables share of power generated in the province “can be much greater, we want it to be greater and we need it to be greater because … we have high emissions in this province.”

The official announcement was made by Crown utility SaskPower on Monday, November 23. "I think this is a realistic plan that we believe the people of Saskatchewan will support," Bill Boyd, minister responsible for SaskPower, said Monday. The cost of increasing the amount of renewable energy in the province is estimated to be $1.5 billion. This will translate to an increase of less than $1 a month for SaskPower customers.

While wind has a history in the province, solar is a new addition to the province's energy mix. the premiere has indicated that the introduction of solar this is due to technological advancements. In addition to large scale solar projects private citizens will also be given incentives to encourage them to put solar arrays on their homes. SaskPower’s Net Metering program currently allows customers to be compensated for feeding excess renewable energy into the grid.

The 50 percent target is even better than the 40 percent target that was contained in an NDP bill. Opposition Leader Cam Broten is skeptical. He said that he’ll believe in the government’s commitment to renewables when he sees it, because the Sask. Party record hasn’t been great.

In addition to concerns about implementation, others have expressed disappointment that Wall has no plans to introduce any form of carbon pricing. Perhaps most discouraging is the provinces ongoing reliance on coal powered electricity generation. Boyd said, "we see coal as part of the mix for the next number of years."

While the addition of more renewable energy in Saskatechewan is laudible it is not enough to be considered as serious climate leadership.

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New Liberal PM's Mandate Letter to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change

November 17, 2015 Add Comment Edit

Canada's new Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released 30 ministerial mandate letters on Friday November, 13th. In these public letters Trudeau gave instructions to his various ministers including the minister of the environment, Catherine McKenna.

The letters outline an overarching approach to government for the next four years, they detail policy objectives that were campaign promises.

In addition to the mandate letters Trudeau says the government’s agenda will be “further articulated” in the December 4 Throne Speech.

The mandate letter to the Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna's includes instructions to lead in efforts to reduce emissions and put a price on carbon.

Here is the full letter:

Dear Ms. McKenna:

I am honoured that you have agreed to serve Canadians as Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

We have promised Canadians a government that will bring real change – in both what we do and how we do it. Canadians sent a clear message in this election, and our platform offered a new, ambitious plan for a strong and growing middle class. Canadians expect us to fulfill our commitments, and it is my expectation that you will do your part in delivering on those promises to Canadians.

We made a commitment to invest in growing our economy, strengthening the middle class, and helping those working hard to join it. We committed to provide more direct help to those who need it by giving less to those who do not. We committed to public investment as the best way to spur economic growth, job creation, and broad-based prosperity. We committed to a responsible, transparent fiscal plan for challenging economic times.

I expect Canadians to hold us accountable for delivering these commitments, and I expect all ministers to do their part – individually and collectively – to improve economic opportunity and security for Canadians.

It is my expectation that we will deliver real results and professional government to Canadians. To ensure that we have a strong focus on results, I will expect Cabinet committees and individual ministers to: track and report on the progress of our commitments; assess the effectiveness of our work; and align our resources with priorities, in order to get the results we want and Canadians deserve.

If we are to tackle the real challenges we face as a country – from a struggling middle class to the threat of climate change – Canadians need to have faith in their government’s honesty and willingness to listen. I expect that our work will be informed by performance measurement, evidence, and feedback from Canadians. We will direct our resources to those initiatives that are having the greatest, positive impact on the lives of Canadians, and that will allow us to meet our commitments to them. I expect you to report regularly on your progress toward fulfilling our commitments and to help develop effective measures that assess the impact of the organizations for which you are answerable.

I made a personal commitment to bring new leadership and a new tone to Ottawa. We made a commitment to Canadians to pursue our goals with a renewed sense of collaboration. Improved partnerships with provincial, territorial, and municipal governments are essential to deliver the real, positive change that we promised Canadians. No relationship is more important to me and to Canada than the one with Indigenous Peoples. It is time for a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous Peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government. It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves. Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians. It is important that we acknowledge mistakes when we make them. Canadians do not expect us to be perfect – they expect us to be honest, open, and sincere in our efforts to serve the public interest.

Our platform guides our government. Over the course of our four-year mandate, I expect us to deliver on all of our commitments. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we fulfill our promises, while living within our fiscal plan. Other issues will arise or will be brought to our attention by Canadians, stakeholders, and the public service. It is my expectation that you will engage constructively and thoughtfully and add priorities to your agenda when appropriate.

As Minister, you will be held accountable for our commitment to bring a different style of leadership to government. This will include: close collaboration with your colleagues; meaningful engagement with Opposition Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Committees and the public service; constructive dialogue with Canadians, civil society, and stakeholders, including business, organized labour, the broader public sector, and the not-for-profit and charitable sectors; and identifying ways to find solutions and avoid escalating conflicts unnecessarily. As well, members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, indeed all journalists in Canada and abroad, are professionals who, by asking necessary questions, contribute in an important way to the democratic process. Your professionalism and engagement with them is essential.

Canadians expect us, in our work, to reflect the values we all embrace: inclusion, honesty, hard work, fiscal prudence, and generosity of spirit. We will be a government that governs for all Canadians, and I expect you, in your work, to bring Canadians together.

You are expected to do your part to fulfill our government’s commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity and that Indigenous Canadians and minority groups are better reflected in positions of leadership.

As Minister of Environment and Climate Change, your overarching goal will be to take the lead in implementing the government’s plan for a clean environment and a sustainable economy. Your key priority will be to ensure that our government provides national leadership to reduce emissions, combat climate change and price carbon. I expect you to help restore Canada’s reputation for environmental stewardship.

In particular, I will expect you to work with your colleagues and through established legislative, regulatory, and Cabinet processes to deliver on your top priorities:

In partnership with provinces and territories, develop a plan to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with our international obligations and our commitment to sustainable economic growth. You will attend the Paris climate conference with me and, upon our return, we will set a date to meet with provincial and territorial leaders to develop a pan-Canadian framework for addressing climate change.

In partnership with provinces and territories, establish national emissions-reduction targets, ensuring that the provinces and territories have targeted federal funding and the flexibility to design their own policies to meet these commitments, including their own carbon pricing policies. These targets will recognise the economic cost and catastrophic impact that a greater-than-two-degree increase in average global temperatures would represent, as well as the need for Canada to do its part to prevent that from happening. As part of this effort, support the Minister of Finance in creating a new Low Carbon Economy Trust to help fund projects that materially reduce carbon emissions under the new pan-Canadian framework.

Treat our freshwater as a precious resource that deserves protection and careful stewardship, including by working with other orders of government to protect Canada’s freshwater using education, geo-mapping, watershed protection, and investments in the best wastewater treatment technologies. Work with the Minister of Finance to fulfill our G20 commitment and phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the medium-term.

Work in partnership with the United States and Mexico and the Ministers of Natural Resources and Foreign Affairs to develop an ambitious North American clean energy and environment agreement.

Support the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities in protecting our communities from the challenges of climate change and supporting them in the transition toward more sustainable economic growth by making significant new investments in green infrastructure.

Enhance protection of Canada’s endangered species by responding quickly to the advice of scientists and completing robust species-at-risk recovery plans in a timely way.

Work with provinces and territories to set stronger air quality standards, monitor emissions, and provide incentives for investments that lead to cleaner air and healthier communities.

Supported by the Ministers of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and Natural Resources, immediately review Canada’s environmental assessment processes to regain public trust and help get resources to market and introduce new, fair processes that will:

restore robust oversight and thorough environmental assessments of areas under federal jurisdiction, while also working with provinces and territories to avoid duplication; ensure that decisions are based on science, facts, and evidence, and serve the public’s interest; provide ways for Canadians to express their views and opportunities for experts to meaningfully participate; and require project advocates to choose the best technologies available to reduce environmental impacts.

Develop Canada’s National Parks system, as well as manage and expand National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries.

Develop Parks Canada programs and services so that more Canadians can experience our National Parks and learn more about our environment and heritage.

Make admission for all visitors to National Parks free in 2017, the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Beginning in 2018, ensure that admission for children under 18 is free, and provide any adult who has become a Canadian citizen in the previous 12 months one year’s free admission. Through an expanded Learn to Camp program, ensure that more low- and middle-income families have an opportunity to experience Canada’s outdoors.

Protect our National Parks by limiting development within them, and where possible, work with nearby communities to help grow local eco-tourism industries and create jobs.

Work with the Ontario government to enhance the country’s first urban National Park – Rouge National Urban Park – including improved legislation to protect this important ecosystem and guide how the park will be managed. Working in collaboration with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, renew our commitment to protect the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River Basin and the Lake Winnipeg Basin.

Work in collaboration with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and the Minister of Science to examine the implications of climate change on Arctic marine ecosystems.

Work with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to increase the proportion of Canada’s marine and coastal areas that are protected – to five percent by 2017, and ten percent by 2020 – supported by new investments in community consultation and science.

These priorities draw heavily from our election platform commitments. The government’s agenda will be further articulated through Cabinet discussions and in the Speech from the Throne when Parliament opens.

I expect you to work closely with your Deputy Minister and his or her senior officials to ensure that the ongoing work of your department is undertaken in a professional manner and that decisions are made in the public interest. Your Deputy Minister will brief you on issues your department may be facing that may require decisions to be made quickly. It is my expectation that you will apply our values and principles to these decisions, so that issues facing your department are dealt with in a timely and responsible manner, and in a way that is consistent with the overall direction of our government.

Our ability, as a government, to successfully implement our platform depends on our ability to thoughtfully consider the professional, non-partisan advice of public servants. Each and every time a government employee comes to work, they do so in service to Canada, with a goal of improving our country and the lives of all Canadians. I expect you to establish a collaborative working relationship with your Deputy Minister, whose role, and the role of public servants under his or her direction, is to support you in the performance of your responsibilities.

In the coming weeks, the Privy Council Office (PCO) will be contacting you to set up a meeting with PCO officials, your Deputy Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office to further discuss your plans, commitments and priorities.

We have committed to an open, honest government that is accountable to Canadians, lives up to the highest ethical standards, and applies the utmost care and prudence in the handling of public funds. I expect you to embody these values in your work and observe the highest ethical standards in everything you do. When dealing with our Cabinet colleagues, Parliament, stakeholders, or the public, it is important that your behaviour and decisions meet Canadians’ well-founded expectations of our government. I want Canadians to look on their own government with pride and trust.

As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act and Treasury Board policies and guidelines. You will be provided with a copy of Open and Accountable Government to assist you as you undertake your responsibilities. I ask that you carefully read it and ensure that your staff does so as well. I draw your attention in particular to the Ethical Guidelines set out in Annex A of that document, which apply to you and your staff. As noted in the Guidelines, you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. This is an obligation that is not fully discharged by simply acting within the law. Please also review the areas of Open and Accountable Government that we have expanded or strengthened, including the guidance on non-partisan use of departmental communications resources and the new code of conduct for exempt staff.

I know I can count on you to fulfill the important responsibilities entrusted in you. In turn, please know that you can count on me to support you every day in your role as Minister.

I am deeply grateful to have this opportunity to serve with you as we build an even greater country. Together, we will work tirelessly to honour the trust Canadians have given us.

Yours sincerely,

Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada

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