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The Canadian Climate Institute argues that for Canada to meet its net-zero goals, the oil and gas sector requires transformational investment. It proposes a two-tier requirement system for the federal government's Sustainable Finance Action Council (SFAC) climate investment taxonomy: company-level net-zero targets and project-level emissions-intensity benchmarks. Specifically, it argues that "transition" labels should only apply to projects that reduce emissions from existing production, as 1.5°C pathways necessitate "no investments in new production."

The analysis finds that CCS projects in Canadian oil sands are economically viable under current and proposed climate policies, such as carbon pricing and investment tax credits, potentially offering private returns of up to 21%. Consequently, the authors argue that additional public funding beyond what is already announced is unnecessary and could lead to excessive corporate profits. While CCS improves the carbon intensity of oil sands production, it does not eliminate the long-term transition risk associated with declining global oil demand.

The author argues that Canada's goal to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies may conflict with its plans to cap oil and gas emissions and maintain sustainable jobs. To resolve this, the document suggests a rigorous framework to ensure public funds are not wasted on assets that may become stranded due to declining global demand. The proposed framework evaluates project alignment with net-zero scenarios, comparative economic value against clean energy alternatives, impacts on worker and community vulnerability, and the matching of policy instruments to project risk levels.

The Canada Growth Fund (CGF), a $15 billion 'green bank' designed to catalyze private investment for Canada's net-zero transition, will be managed by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments). The author warns that CGF's success depends on avoiding PSP's 'business as usual' focus on private returns, as CGF must prioritize social returns and accept higher risks through concessional finance. To mitigate the risk of conflating these mandates, the document recommends a transparent investment strategy co-written by policy and finance experts, a diverse decision-making committee with expertise in climate policy and low-carbon technology, and clear accountability structures that separate the Fund's policy goals from PSP's fiduciary duties to pension beneficiaries.

The Canada Growth Fund, a "green bank" designed to catalyze private investment in Canada's transition to net-zero, is managed by the federal Crown corporation PSP Investments. The author warns that the Fund's success depends on its ability to operate with a different risk tolerance and set of objectives than PSP's core pension fund management. While PSP focuses on maximizing returns for beneficiaries, the Canada Growth Fund must use concessional financing to support high-risk, innovative clean growth projects that offer broad societal benefits but may lack immediate private profitability. To mitigate the risk of the Fund's policy goals being eroded by a traditional private-return mindset, the author recommends a transparent investment strategy, a diverse range of expertise in climate policy and technology, and clear accountability mechanisms between the Fund, PSP, and the federal government.

The report examines the G7 Climate Club, an intergovernmental forum aimed at achieving global net-zero emissions by mid-century. While acknowledging its goals, the author argues that the Club's structure—particularly its focus on rapid decarbonisation and potential trade restrictions—could undermine African development. Key concerns include the economic reliance of African nations on hydrocarbon exports, the high cost of transitioning to low-carbon industrial processes, and the risk of trade protectionism through mechanisms like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The report highlights a history of unfulfilled G7 financial pledges to Africa and recommends a co-design approach that prioritises technology transfer, climate justice, and financial support over strict carbon accounting and trade sanctions.

The Canadian Climate Institute suggests that the federal government use the $25.7 billion Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit to incentivize provinces to adopt four institutional changes: commissioning independent pathway assessments, updating the mandates of public utilities and regulators to include net-zero goals, developing high-level net-zero energy visions, and participating in inter-provincial information exchange. These conditions are designed to be non-prescriptive, leaving implementation details to the provinces to avoid jurisdictional conflict while providing the clarity and institutional alignment needed for energy system transformation.

The Canadian Climate Institute suggests that the federal government use the estimated $25.7 billion clean electricity investment tax credit as leverage to incentivize provincial grid modernization. The proposed conditions include mandating independent pathway assessments, updating the mandates of public utilities and regulators to include carbon neutrality, developing formal energy vision documents, and participating in inter-provincial information exchange. The author argues this approach stimulates systemic change while respecting provincial jurisdiction over electricity.

Climate finance for agrifood systems is critically low, representing only 4.3% of total project-level climate finance in 2019/20. The report highlights a massive investment gap, noting that current flows must increase at least sevenfold to meet conservative transition needs. While agriculture and forestry dominate project-level funding, essential mitigation areas like food loss and low-carbon diets are severely underfunded. The analysis reveals a heavy reliance on public funding (85%) and significant geographic disparities, with East Asia and the Pacific receiving the most finance, while South Asia and Latin America remain underserved relative to their emissions and vulnerability. The report advocates for repurposing harmful agricultural subsidies and leveraging private capital to scale climate-resilient and low-carbon food systems.

The document outlines a systemic framework for tracking climate finance in agrifood systems, expanding beyond traditional AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, Other Land Uses, and Fisheries) categories to include downstream agro-industries, food loss, waste, and diets. It details the methodology for estimating global annual investment needs—drawing from FOLU, UNEP, and Thornton et al.—and provides a granular breakdown of tracked project-level and company-level investments for 2019/2020. The annexes also include a corrigendum from February 2024 that significantly revises venture capital investment figures upward.

The document examines national investment laws as versatile policy instruments, tracing their shift from national development tools (1950-1979) to mechanisms for incorporating international treaty standards (1980-2010). It identifies seven primary functions of contemporary investment laws: regulating admission, administering incentives, facilitating investment, providing legal protection, managing disputes, specifying investor obligations, and supervising investments. The report argues against a 'one-size-fits-all' model, suggesting instead that laws be designed based on a country's specific policy objectives and regulatory capacity. It provides a detailed framework for policymakers to evaluate existing laws and design new ones, emphasizing the need to reduce legal risks associated with investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and inefficient tax incentives.

The report examines national investment laws as versatile policy tools, tracing their evolution from 1950s development-focused laws to the 1980-2010 trend of aligning national legislation with international investment treaties. It identifies seven primary functions of contemporary investment laws: governing admission, managing incentives, facilitating investment, providing legal protection, managing disputes, specifying investor obligations, and supervising investments. The document argues against a 'one-size-fits-all' model, instead offering a framework for policymakers to align the functions and content of their laws with specific national objectives and sustainable development goals, while warning against the legal and financial risks of incorporating treaty-style protections and prior consent to international arbitration.

Ember argues that Australia's coal mine methane emissions are significantly under-reported and that the current Safeguard Mechanism is insufficient to drive necessary reductions. The report recommends a 78% reduction in coal mine methane by 2030-2035, achieved through a combination of onsite mitigation and a phaseout of thermal coal mining. To support this, Ember urges the Climate Change Authority to implement a national methane action plan, establish a standalone methane reduction target in the next Nationally Determined Contribution, and overhaul the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) framework to replace generic emission factors with direct, site-specific measurements.

The document highlights the growing threat of extreme heat in Canada, noting its severe health impacts and economic costs. It advocates for a combination of mechanical cooling, urban greening, updated labor standards, and improved early warning systems to mitigate these risks.

The document advocates for incorporating the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) into climate adaptation planning in Canada. It argues that traditional economic accounting often prioritizes tangible property damage over less quantifiable health impacts from extreme heat and wildfire smoke, potentially leading to the undervaluing of life-saving measures. By using VSL—a measure of the economic benefit of reduced mortality based on public willingness to pay—governments can more accurately conduct cost-benefit analyses and develop comprehensive policies that address both human and economic costs.

The document highlights the dangers of extreme heat in Canada, noting that 619 people died during the 2021 B.C. heat wave, with 93% lacking functional home cooling. It advocates for a combination of mechanical cooling (heat pumps, air conditioners) and urban greening, noting that in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, these could reduce heat-related hospitalization costs by 30% by mid-century. The text also recommends implementing occupational heat standards, earlier public heat warnings, and flexible workplace schedules to protect workers and maintain productivity, citing that schedule adaptations in B.C. could save $4 million annually in GDP losses by the 2030s.

The Canadian Climate Institute emphasizes that while the federal government's National Adaptation Strategy provides a necessary framework for climate resilience, it requires significantly increased funding, better inter-governmental coordination, and robust accountability mechanisms to be effective.

The Canadian Climate Institute emphasizes the necessity of the federal government's national adaptation strategy to protect infrastructure and communities from wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. While the strategy sets national priorities and measurable goals, the Institute argues that current funding is insufficient and calls for stronger intergovernmental coordination and accountability mechanisms to translate the strategy into tangible results.

The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that wildfires in Quebec caused $1.28 billion in healthcare costs in Ontario alone from June 4 to 8, 2023, due to a significant spike in PM2.5 fine particulate matter exposure.

The report asserts that the Canadian oil and gas sector is ill-prepared for an inevitable drop in global demand, which is being accelerated by climate action and shifts in energy markets. It argues that 'business as usual' is no longer viable and recommends that the federal government implement a four-part strategy: strengthening climate policies and the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan, supporting subnational and Indigenous economic diversification, aligning fiscal policy by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, and exploring federal tools to end production expansion.