Re: Accountability and the Pan Canadian Framework

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Catherine McKenna on December 3, 2018, urging the Canadian government to enshrine climate accountability and transparency in law. CAPE argues that Canada has a history of missing greenhouse gas reduction targets and that the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF) requires binding legislative measures to ensure successive governments meet 2030 and 2050 targets.

• The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) asserts that Canada has failed to meet every greenhouse gas reduction target set by the government prior to the 2030 target. They note that 2016 greenhouse gas emissions of 704 MT were 16.7% above 1990 levels, 5.5% below 2007 levels, and 3.8% below 2005 levels.
• CAPE argues that the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF) is an important first step but is insufficient on its own to achieve greenhouse gas targets. While the PCF commits to transparency and accountability, CAPE contends that these measures must be enshrined in law to create permanent institutional accountability.
• The document criticizes a government proposal to establish an 'Institute' with up to $20 million over 5 years to provide advice, arguing that it functions more like a think-tank than an accountability mechanism. CAPE recommends instead a public, independent expert climate-science committee with a legislated mandate to monitor and report on government progress.
• CAPE proposes that the Canadian government adopt 5-year carbon budgets or targets to provide a more meaningful timeframe for public understanding and government action than the 2030 target alone. They cite the United Kingdom, Scotland, Mexico, New Zealand, and California as jurisdictions using similar budgeting or target systems.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2018). Re: Accountability and the Pan Canadian Framework. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PanCanadianAccountability_FINAL.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Re: Accountability and the Pan Canadian Framework. 2018. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PanCanadianAccountability_FINAL.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Re: Accountability and the Pan Canadian Framework |date=3 December 2018 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PanCanadianAccountability_FINAL.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2018accountability, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Re: Accountability and the Pan Canadian Framework}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PanCanadianAccountability_FINAL.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }