Search Climate Insights Directory

The report argues that Canada must add over 10 GW of zero-emission capacity annually until 2050 to reach its climate goals. To achieve this, it proposes a 'fast track' permitting process for modest projects using proven technologies, contrasting with an existing track for large-scale or experimental projects. The proposed framework focuses on three pillars: technology (proven, low impact), location (objective, binary criteria), and timeline (fixed limits for each project phase). It emphasizes the central role of municipal and Indigenous governments in granting approvals to ensure social acceptability and the protection of key ecological elements. The document also analyzes the constitutional competencies of federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous authorities to implement these reforms.

Canada needs to add over 10 gigawatts of new zero-emission electricity annually until 2050 to reach net zero. The author argues that current inclusive permitting processes are too slow and complex. They propose a two-track system: one for major or unproven projects and a second, expedited track for proven technologies like wind, solar, and lithium-ion batteries. This fast-track process would rely on binding, objective 'yes/no' criteria focusing on local government support, avoidance of key ecological features, and the mitigation of uncompensated off-site impacts. The paper concludes that all five orders of government (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous) have the legal authority to implement these reforms, and recommends that municipal and Indigenous governments lead the project decisions for fast-track approvals.

The report details a 2022 workshop organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Belmont Forum to promote transdisciplinary (TD) knowledge co-production. It analyzes three case studies—Jamaican Women in Coffee (JAWiC), NICH-Arctic, and FRACTAL—to identify common challenges such as power imbalances and conflicting priorities between funders and local communities. The document concludes with best practices for TD project implementation, emphasizing the need to center local timeframes and enhance communication, as well as pedagogical recommendations for future 'train the trainers' events.

The report identifies a lack of youth-specific mainstream media in the circumpolar North and highlights the critical importance of in-person interaction and experiential learning over formal education. It notes significant barriers to formal schooling in Canada, including curricula that lack Northern content and a lack of home internet access in remote communities. While various youth networks exist, the report finds that engagement is often dependent on external champions and that networks frequently suffer from a 'hub and spokes' model, limiting their sustainability.

The report identifies over 330 ecosystem indicators across 22 initiatives in Canada's North, highlighting a significant gap between the abundance of individual research projects and the lack of coherent, systemic indicator frameworks. It argues for a more holistic interpretation of ecosystems that includes human community health and external stressors like climate change, while emphasizing the need for data aggregation, international standardization, and meaningful community involvement to make monitoring scientifically and managerially relevant.

The report examines the historical and current state of Indigenous engagement in Canada's resource sector, focusing on the transition to clean energy and critical minerals. It argues that while regulatory frameworks like the Impact Assessment Act have improved since the colonial era, they remain too complex, costly, and onerous, often failing to adequately recognize Indigenous sovereignty. Through case studies in Quebec, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Yukon, and British Columbia, the document illustrates the spectrum of engagement from successful modern treaties and equity partnerships to ongoing conflicts over land title. The authors recommend a shift toward Indigenous-led evaluation and approval processes, the formal acceptance of Indigenous laws, and increased capacity support for communities to ensure the energy transition is equitable and grounded in free, prior, and informed consent.

The report examines the historical and current state of Indigenous participation in Canada's resource regulatory frameworks. It argues that while the transition to clean energy requires increased extraction of critical minerals on Indigenous lands, current regulatory processes—including the Impact Assessment Act—are often too complex, costly, and slow, failing to fully recognize Indigenous sovereignty. Through various case studies, the document highlights that successful projects are those based on genuine collaboration, modern treaties, and the recognition of Indigenous laws, rather than mere consultation. It recommends a shift toward Indigenous-led assessment and monitoring processes to ensure economic prosperity and environmental protection.