‘Checking the Boxes’ in Federal Climate Plan Won’t Deliver on Canada’s Paris Targets, Researchers Warn – The Energy Mix: Unlike most of the climate community analysts and advocates who’ve
had a hand in the federal strategy, Robertson and Moore take issue with a
plan that emphasizes the economic opportunities in an effective climate
response over the depth of the emergency humanity faces. “That is the
goal,” they write. “Not to be left behind. To be able to compete in a
changing world. To be a global economic leader. Nowhere is there mention
of a crisis nor a situation that requires an emergency footing, an
emergency response.”

On that basis, they conclude that the updated climate plan the
government released in December assumes “there is climate change, not a
climate emergency,” that “economic growth is the overarching goal even
for climate policy”, that market players will solve the problem given
the right price signals to respond to, and the fossil industry “must be
protected and supported” through the adoption of a “‘fossil first’
climate action plan instead of a ‘climate first’ approach.” It envisions
a new, low-carbon era that strengthens Canada’s existing “export-led,
extraction-based economic model”, while assuming the country will become
a hydrogen superpower.

“It is this problematic orientation together with a set of inadequate
climate initiatives that will lead inevitably to more missed emission
reduction targets and broken climate promises,” they write.

‘Checking the Boxes’ in Federal Climate Plan Won’t Deliver on Canada’s Paris Targets, Researchers Warn – The Energy Mix: Unlike most of the climate community analysts and advocates who’ve
had a hand in the federal strategy, Robertson and Moore take issue with a
plan that emphasizes the economic opportunities in an effective climate
response over the depth of the emergency humanity faces. “That is the
goal,” they write. “Not to be left behind. To be able to compete in a
changing world. To be a global economic leader. Nowhere is there mention
of a crisis nor a situation that requires an emergency footing, an
emergency response.”On that basis, they conclude that the updated climate plan the
government released in December assumes “there is climate change, not a
climate emergency,” that “economic growth is the overarching goal even
for climate policy”, that market players will solve the problem given
the right price signals to respond to, and the fossil industry “must be
protected and supported” through the adoption of a “‘fossil first’
climate action plan instead of a ‘climate first’ approach.” It envisions
a new, low-carbon era that strengthens Canada’s existing “export-led,
extraction-based economic model”, while assuming the country will become
a hydrogen superpower.“It is this problematic orientation together with a set of inadequate
climate initiatives that will lead inevitably to more missed emission
reduction targets and broken climate promises,” they write.Read More

Lauren Dobson-Hughes: Are we actually a country?: Politicians weren’t straightforward with us: Canada is middle of the
line for global vaccine supply. But they told Canadians we should be
first in line (prompting other politicians to claim that we were in
fact, at the very back of the line, which seriously? Try being Mali and
get back to me).

Of all 198 countries in the world, Canada should be first in line for the single hottest global commodity? For the love of every single Timbit in the country, why?

Was
it our oversized purchasing power? (We have none.) Our willingness to
pay far beyond market price? (We weren’t.) Because we are dominant as a
consumer of global pharmaceutical products? (We are not.) Or is it …
because we’re really nice and have this awfully outdated impression of
our importance on the global scene? (Bingo!) There is no rational
measure by which Canada ought to come first.

Lauren Dobson-Hughes: Are we actually a country?: Politicians weren’t straightforward with us: Canada is middle of the
line for global vaccine supply. But they told Canadians we should be
first in line (prompting other politicians to claim that we were in
fact, at the very back of the line, which seriously? Try being Mali and
get back to me). Of all 198 countries in the world, Canada should be first in line for the single hottest global commodity? For the love of every single Timbit in the country, why? Was
it our oversized purchasing power? (We have none.) Our willingness to
pay far beyond market price? (We weren’t.) Because we are dominant as a
consumer of global pharmaceutical products? (We are not.) Or is it …
because we’re really nice and have this awfully outdated impression of
our importance on the global scene? (Bingo!) There is no rational
measure by which Canada ought to come first.Read More