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What’s next in Canada’s net-zero journey?
The adoption of Bill C-12 legislates Canada's net-zero target and establishes a framework for accountability and governance. The federal government is now required to develop an emissions reduction plan for the 2030 target, including an interim objective for 2026, focusing on 'safe bet' solutions like energy efficiency and electrification.
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Document type: Statement
Advancing the Climate Resilience of Canadian Infrastructure
The report identifies significant climate risks to Canadian infrastructure, including permafrost degradation in the North and flooding in coastal and urban areas. It recommends a whole-of-society approach combining climate-informed planning, structural changes, and natural infrastructure solutions. While federal initiatives like the Climate Lens and the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund provide a foundation, the report argues for greater investment to close an infrastructure gap estimated up to CAD 1 trillion and the adoption of more diverse sustainable finance mechanisms.
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Document type: Report
Pipelines or Progress: Government support for oil and gas pipelines in Canada
The report finds that Canadian governments provided over CAD 23 billion in support for oil and gas pipelines between 2018 and 2020, with over CAD 10 billion provided after the onset of COVID-19. This support, which includes loans, loan guarantees, and equity investments, is argued to undermine Canada's climate commitments and expose taxpayers to significant financial risk due to cost overruns, legal challenges, and declining private sector interest in fossil fuel infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
Notre travail à l'ACME et le racisme systémique au Canada
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE/ACME) addresses the impact of systemic racism and colonialism in Canada, specifically citing the discovery of children's graves at a residential school in Kamloops and a hate crime against a Muslim family in London, Ontario. The author argues that environmentalism and medicine are not immune to these systems; environmentalism has a history of erasing Indigenous peoples and sacrificing their rights for environmental gains, while the medical system has been used to perpetrate genocide and racism against Indigenous people. The statement calls for the ACME community to engage in antiracist work, support the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action, and recognize that systemic hate is an inherent part of Canada's colonial foundation.
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Document type: Statement
SMOKESCREEN SUMITOMO’S “CARBON NEUTRAL” FAILURES
Mighty Earth alleges a significant gap between Sumitomo Corporation's public commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and its actual business practices. The report highlights Sumitomo's role in importing wood pellets from the US and Canada, which it claims destroys old-growth forests and increases CO2 levels. It also criticizes the company's ongoing development of coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, noting that these projects cause severe local pollution and human rights issues. Financially, the report notes that Sumitomo has suffered substantial losses from coal-related assets, arguing that the company must accelerate its transition to renewable energy to avoid further stranded assets and environmental destruction.
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Document type: Report
Spatial politics of energy conflicts: scale and shape of pipeline and shale gas in Canada
The paper analyzes the spatial politics of the Trans Mountain pipeline, the Coastal GasLink pipeline, and shale gas drilling in New Brunswick. It finds that project proponents typically 'scale up' benefits and 'scale down' impacts, whereas opponents employ the opposite strategy. The authors argue that understanding these spatial strategies can expose power dynamics and biases in legal processes and impact assessments.
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Document type: Research paper
Unsustainable and Ineffective: Why EU Forest Biomass Standards won’t stop destruction
The report criticizes the EU's REDII sustainability criteria for forest biomass, arguing that they prioritize legal formality over actual ecological sustainability. It contends that the criteria allow destructive forestry practices to continue by equating the existence of national laws with sustainability, while failing to provide rigorous verification mechanisms or incorporate NGO evidence. Through five case studies in Canada, Estonia, France, Portugal, and Finland, the document demonstrates that current rules would not prevent the logging of old-growth or high-nature-value forests for energy production.
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Document type: Report
Leaving No Canadian Behind: Measuring the well-being of vulnerable Canadians for effective SDG implementation
The report argues that effective implementation of the SDGs in Canada requires a multi-tiered measurement approach that moves beyond national averages to identify and monitor vulnerable groups. It identifies key marginalized populations—including Indigenous Peoples, recent immigrants, and people with disabilities—and highlights the systemic data gaps that hinder targeted interventions. The authors advocate for the use of complementary community-driven data sources and investments in data interoperability, specifically through mission-oriented data ecosystems, to ensure that those 'furthest behind' are accurately captured and supported.
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Document type: Report
COP26: the moment of truth for the Powering Past Coal Alliance
Reclaim Finance asserts that the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) is failing to drive a real movement away from coal despite growing membership. The organization highlights that most financial institution members continue to fund coal development, and co-chairs Canada and the United Kingdom, along with members like Mexico and Germany, exhibit contradictory behaviors such as planning new mines or power plants. The document calls for the PPCA to reform its criteria to include the entire coal sector and align with Paris Agreement timetables ahead of COP26.
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Document type: Statement
La COP26, moment de vérité pour la Powering Past Coal Alliance
Reclaim Finance asserts that the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) has failed to translate its membership growth into a real coal phase-out. The organization highlights that most financial members continue to fund coal, and several member states, including Canada and the UK, are pursuing new coal projects or exports. It calls for a reform of PPCA principles to include mines and infrastructure and demands that financial institutions adopt policies based on the Coal Policy Tool to meet Paris Agreement timelines.
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Document type: Statement
Building Momentum for a Just Transition in Canada: Perspectives from civil society
The report analyzes perspectives from 48 Canadian civil society organizations on the just transition. It finds a broad consensus on the need for employment security, 'good jobs', and equity for marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous Peoples. The document argues that while Canada has a high capacity for transition, there are significant political gaps, including a lack of institutionalized tripartite processes and the influence of corporate interests. It recommends the implementation of a Just Transition Act, the end of fossil fuel subsidies, and increased support for municipal and Indigenous-led projects. Civil society is positioned as a vital complement to official processes through research, capacity building, and public awareness campaigns.
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Document type: Report
KKR Energy Investments Troubled by Racial Injustice and Financial Losses
The report examines KKR's energy investment strategy from 2010 to 2020, highlighting a strong preference for fossil fuels over renewables. It details significant financial losses, including negative internal rates of return (IRR) for several funds and bankruptcies of assets like Longview Power and Samson Resources. Additionally, the document links KKR's investments to environmental and social harms, specifically citing Indigenous opposition to the Coastal GasLink Pipeline in Canada and the disproportionate impact of oil and gas operations on Latino and minority communities in Texas and New Mexico.
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Document type: Report
LAST CHANCE FOR THE POWERING PAST COAL ALLIANCE
The briefing argues that the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) has failed to trigger a meaningful global coal exit due to significant loopholes in its declaration and a lack of monitoring. It highlights that many financial institution members continue to invest in coal, and co-chairs Canada and the UK are not leading by example, with Canada developing new coal mines. The document calls for a reform of the PPCA to align with climate science, requiring an immediate stop to new coal projects and a full sector exit by 2030 in OECD/European countries and 2040 globally.
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Document type: Briefing
Federal Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Canada: COVID-19 edition
The Canadian government provided at least CAD 1.91 billion in federal fossil fuel subsidies in 2020, representing a jump of over 200% from 2019 levels. This increase was primarily driven by COVID-19 recovery measures, specifically funding for orphan and abandoned well reclamation and support for Newfoundland's offshore oil industry. The report argues that these subsidies are inconsistent with Canada's net-zero emissions by 2050 target and G20 commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. It highlights significant data gaps regarding tax-related subsidies and public finance provided through Export Development Canada (EDC). The author recommends a transparent roadmap for subsidy phase-out by 2025, the alignment of EDC policies with climate goals, and the inclusion of subsidy reform in Canada's next Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Report
Recovery Through Reform: Advancing a hydrogen economy while minimizing fossil fuel subsidies
The document examines Canada's approach to the hydrogen economy, specifically the tension between supporting 'blue hydrogen' (fossil fuel-based with carbon capture) and 'green hydrogen' (renewable-based). It argues that blue hydrogen is less environmentally effective due to methane leaks and high costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS), and is likely to be out-competed by green hydrogen by 2030. The author contends that subsidies for blue hydrogen constitute fossil fuel subsidies that undermine Canada's climate goals and net-zero 2050 target, recommending strict environmental and cost criteria for any public funding.
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Document type: Policy brief
The Limits of Livability
The report examines how forest fires, driven by both climate change and deliberate land clearing, create poor air quality that severely impacts public health. It highlights specific crises in the Amazon, Australia, and Canada, noting increased hospital admissions and respiratory issues, and calls for a moratorium on land-clearing fires in the Amazon and alignment with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target.
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Document type: Executive summary
Os Limites da Habitabilidade
The document examines how wildfires—both climate-driven and intentional—degrade air quality and cause acute and chronic health issues. It highlights specific crises in the Amazon, Australia, and Canada, noting increased hospitalizations and respiratory distress, and calls for forest management moratoria and alignment with the Paris Agreement to protect public health.
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Document type: Executive summary
Los Límites de la Habitabilidad
The document examines how forest fires, driven by both intentional land clearing and climate change, create severe air pollution that impacts human health globally. It highlights specific crises in the Amazon, Australia, and Canada, noting increased respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and significant disruptions to healthcare infrastructure. The authors call for forest protection, improved community adaptation, long-term health research, and global climate action aligned with the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Executive summary
The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change
The report examines how forest fires, driven by climate change in temperate regions and intentional land clearing in the Amazon, create severe air pollution that impacts large populations. It highlights the acute risks of PM2.5 particulate matter, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions, and calls for improved health system preparation, Indigenous-led fire management, and urgent global climate mitigation.
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Document type: Report
The Limits of Livability
The document examines the under-recognized health risks of wildfire smoke in Canada, noting that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of fires. It highlights specific respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, the vulnerability of certain populations, and the inadequacy of current public health systems to handle prolonged smoke events. The brief calls for improved emergency planning, the protection of Indigenous people, and the alignment of Canadian federal climate policy with the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Briefing