FACTORS affecting how our energy systems will evolve: Canada has more ADVANTAGES than other countries in pursuit of net zero

The document outlines three distinct net-zero energy system pathways for Canada: a fossil fuel system reliant on negative emissions, a biofuel-dominant system, and an electrification and hydrogen-based system. It identifies internal factors within Canada's control, such as domestic policy and infrastructure, and external factors like global market trends and technological innovation that will influence the evolution of these systems. Each pathway is analyzed through its specific upsides, downsides, and implementation barriers, ranging from the risk of delaying structural economic change in fossil fuel systems to the massive land-use footprints required for biofuels and electrification.

• Canada's energy system evolution is influenced by internal factors including domestic policy, infrastructure, land-use priorities, and research, development, and demonstration, as well as external factors such as global climate policy, global market trends, technological innovation, and technology adoption abroad.
• A net-zero system based on fossil fuels and negative emissions would avoid the need to replace existing infrastructure and minimize structural economic change, but it faces barriers including the fact that technology is only at the demonstration stage and would require a massive build-out of negative emissions facilities and a complex offset trading system.
• A system centered on second-generation biofuels made from plants and waste could utilize existing fossil fuel infrastructure and potentially generate negative emissions if combustion emissions are captured, though it presents social equity, justice, and environmental challenges due to its large land-use footprint.
• An electrification and hydrogen system offers lower air pollution and potential export opportunities as it is the type of system most likely to be adopted globally, but it represents a significant departure from the status quo and faces barriers such as a massive land-use footprint and the possibility that Canada would be "going it alone" because few other countries can implement it at scale.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (n.d.). FACTORS affecting how our energy systems will evolve: Canada has more ADVANTAGES than other countries in pursuit of net zero. https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Visual-C-three-energy-systems-ENG.pdf

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. FACTORS affecting how our energy systems will evolve: Canada has more ADVANTAGES than other countries in pursuit of net zero. n.d. https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Visual-C-three-energy-systems-ENG.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=FACTORS affecting how our energy systems will evolve: Canada has more ADVANTAGES than other countries in pursuit of net zero |url=https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Visual-C-three-energy-systems-ENG.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{canadianclimateinstitutendfactors, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{FACTORS affecting how our energy systems will evolve: Canada has more ADVANTAGES than other countries in pursuit of net zero}}, institution = {Canadian Climate Institute}, url = {https://climatechoices.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Visual-C-three-energy-systems-ENG.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }