Getting Where We Need to Go

The document outlines a strategy for Canada to achieve net-zero passenger transport by prioritizing walking, cycling, public transit, and zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). It highlights that 82% of Canadians live in urban areas, making the country well-suited for these transitions. The brief argues that this shift would reduce household costs, improve public health by reducing air and noise pollution, and create approximately 1.6 million jobs by 2050. Key policy recommendations include a federal ZEV sales standard requiring all new light-duty vehicle sales to be ZEVs by 2035, increased funding for high-speed rail in the Quebec-Windsor corridor, and provincial zoning reforms to increase urban density.

• Canada's population distribution is conducive to clean transport, with 82% of the population living in urban areas, a figure comparable to the United Kingdom (85%), France (82%), and Norway (84%).
• The transition to a clean transportation sector could generate significant employment, with an estimated 1.6 million people employed across Canada by 2050.
• A new ZEV and battery manufacturing industry, particularly in Ontario and Quebec, could support nearly 250,000 jobs by 2030 and contribute CAD 48 billion annually to the economy with adequate policy support.
• ZEV passenger cars are more cost-effective over their life cycle than fossil-fuelled alternatives; a Parliamentary Budget Officer assessment found they cost 12% less over an 8-year life cycle, saving over CAD 1,000 per year.
• Air pollution from fossil-fuelled vehicles is a major health burden in Canada, with a 2021 government study estimating 15,300 premature deaths annually and an associated cost of CAD 114 billion.
• The federal government has established a mandate that all new light-duty vehicle sales must be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
• Transportation emissions accounted for 22% of Canada's national emissions in 2022, with passenger transport (excluding freight) representing over 50% of those emissions.

APA

Haig, S. (2025). Getting Where We Need to Go. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/net-zero-transport-canada.pdf

Chicago

Haig, Steven. Getting Where We Need to Go. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/net-zero-transport-canada.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Haig |first1=Steven |title=Getting Where We Need to Go |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/net-zero-transport-canada.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{haig2025getting, author = {Haig, Steven}, title = {{Getting Where We Need to Go}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-03/net-zero-transport-canada.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }