Finding the Way to Zero

The report outlines a consensus among approximately 30 Canadian civil society organizations to prioritize absolute emissions reductions over carbon removals and offsets. Key recommendations include establishing a firm fossil fuel phase-out date, ending subsidies for nuclear and carbon capture technologies, and integrating Indigenous reconciliation and just transition principles into climate policy. The document highlights a tension between incremental government targets and the systemic change required to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

• Participants expressed a high level of agreement on the need to establish a specific phase-out date for fossil fuels and to stop the approval of new fossil fuel projects.
• There is strong consensus that Canada should end public finance and subsidies for fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and carbon capture and storage (CCS), while improving the pricing of industrial emissions.
• Civil society participants advocate for a robust definition of net-zero that encompasses all greenhouse gases and strictly limits the role of carbon removals to avoid trade-offs between nature and fossil fuels.
• The report identifies a preference for 'safe bet' solutions—proven technologies like clean electricity and energy efficiency—over 'wild card' solutions such as blue hydrogen, nuclear energy, and direct air capture, which are viewed as high-risk or undesirable.
• Participants emphasized that net-zero pathways must be linked to decolonization, Indigenous reconciliation, and the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The workshops highlighted the need for a 'just transition' for workers and communities, alongside increased international climate finance to support the Global South in accessing low-cost emissions reductions.
• There is a call for a systemic shift away from extractivism toward alternative economic models, such as 'doughnut economics' and 'circular economy,' using well-being indicators instead of traditional growth metrics.
• Participants expressed concern that current Canadian corporate and government pledges are insufficient, noting that 83% of Canadian oil and gas resources would need to remain in the ground to respect the 1.5°C carbon budget.

APA

Corkal, V. (2022). Finding the Way to Zero. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/climate-action-network-canada-2021-workshop-series-net-zero-en.pdf

Chicago

Corkal, Vanessa. Finding the Way to Zero. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/climate-action-network-canada-2021-workshop-series-net-zero-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Corkal |first1=Vanessa |title=Finding the Way to Zero |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/climate-action-network-canada-2021-workshop-series-net-zero-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{corkal2022finding, author = {Corkal, Vanessa}, title = {{Finding the Way to Zero}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-01/climate-action-network-canada-2021-workshop-series-net-zero-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }