Before the 1980s, climate action was not a central priority on Canada’s governmental agenda, reflecting a broader lack of awareness and urgency around environmental issues at the time. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established in 1988 to assess the risks associated with climate change and consult governments with science-backed information to advise climate mitigation policies. By synthesizing research on the most recent climate science, key findings outlined the severity of climate change attributed to human activity. The conception of the IPCC brought the urgency around climate change to the government’s agenda and quickly emerged as a global priority. Canada hosted the World Conference on the Changing Atmosphere in Toronto, where scientists and policymakers from around the world gathered to discuss climate change. This sparked the necessity to utilize scientific findings through policymaking to alleviate the pressures of global emissions.
A brief history of Canada’s climate change agreements
A Timeline of Canadian Climate Change Commitments
In 1992, Canada ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), joining other nations in committing to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system. This was a significant initial step towards creating universal guidelines to achieve specific climate goals and targets. The emergence of the UNFCC laid the foundation for subsequent international agreements by setting a precedent for multinational collaboration, developing strategies to attain climate targets, and increasing the discourse around decarbonization.
A brief history of Canada’s climate change agreements
A Timeline of Canadian Climate Change Commitments
Over half a decade later, the United Nations (UN) introduced the Kyoto Protocol, which outlines the overarching goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012. The Kyoto Protocol strengthened climate mitigation strategies by setting mandatory emission-reduction targets for industrialized economies based on the respective circumstances of each country. The protocol laid down the groundwork for international collaboration in addressing climate change as a global systemic dilemma. Canada had a future-oriented perspective based on their interpretation of the agreement. The Government of Canada aimed to reach the goal of a 20% reduction in emissions from the 2006 level by 2020 and an approximately 65% reduction by 2050 A Climate Change Plan for the Purposes of the Kyoto Protocol Implementation Act -- May 2009. However, Environment Minister Peter Kent of the Canadian Conservative Government stated that Canada’s initiatives towards climate mitigation were redundant, especially because the agreement did not include the world’s two largest emitters: China and Canada Canada pulls out of Kyoto protocol.
At the UN Climate Change Conference in 2009, Canada signed the Copenhagen Accord. By ratifying this agreement, Canada agrees to reduce GHG emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. Canada’s focus on controlling emissions from the transportation sector aims to find sustainable alternatives to oil and gas. Transitioning towards electric generation posed a major environmental investment in the infrastructure required to become a predominantly electric nation. Canadian GHG emissions decreased in 2008 and 2009 due to the global recession but rose again shortly thereafter. Future emissions depend on government action, technology, economic growth, and energy market trends. Environment Canada projected that, without any climate action, emissions would reach 850 Mt by 2020. However, the federal and provincial governments have implemented significant measures, expected to collectively lower emissions by 65 megatonnes (MT), reducing annual emissions from 850 Mt to 785 Mt by 2020.
The Paris Agreement serves as a formidable driving force in establishing a comprehensive set of guidelines with the target of maintaining “global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius” by encouraging collaboration within the international system (UNFCCC, 2015). Without the universal collective action of global actors, NGOs, and multinational corporations, achieving the goal of the ideal 1.5 degrees and below 2 degrees is entirely unfeasible; however, it is possible through state collaboration that fosters capacity for economic development. With sufficient governmental financial support, states can provide incentives for technological innovation to limit greenhouse gas emissions and other sustainable practices. The collaboration between backing from the government and the private sector can encourage new processes in sustainable practices and uphold the standards established by the yearly appointment of the Conference of Parties. To successfully achieve the 1.5-degree target, there needs to be greater involvement in collaboration to achieve specific standards in business practices that do not violate the Paris Agreement and should aim to develop new innovative, sustainable solutions. The Paris Agreement differs from its predecessors by focusing on achievable climate goals based on each nation's capabilities, emphasizing flexibility and encouraging countries to set their own climate commitments rather than imposing rigid deadlines. Canada incentivizes technological innovation through rebates and subsidies to encourage the development of sustainable alternatives. These measures not only stimulate private sector investment in clean technology but also position Canada as a competitive player in the global shift toward a low-carbon economy, fostering economic growth while advancing climate goals. The Agreement does not set any definitive deadlines to reach a certain climate goal but relies on periodic reviews and the Conference of Parties to track progress and encourage higher targets.