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The report argues that Canada cannot reach its 2050 net-zero goals through energy transitions alone, as material extraction and processing account for a significant portion of global emissions. It identifies key opportunities in the steel, cement, plastics, and organic waste sectors, emphasizing that reducing primary demand and extending product lifespans offer greater emission reductions than recycling alone. The document highlights the lack of comprehensive national circularity plans in Canada compared to leaders like Japan and the EU, and recommends implementing digital product passports, carbon pricing, and updated building codes to accelerate the transition.

The report analyzes the viability of first-of-a-kind clean fuel projects in Canada, finding that most are currently unprofitable without public support. It distinguishes between standard market risks, which investors can manage, and systemic failures—such as policy uncertainty, infrastructure deficits, and regulatory delays—that require government action. Through financial modeling of five project archetypes, the report highlights that only blue ammonia in Alberta shows consistent viability, while others struggle with high costs and technological immaturity. It emphasizes the need for Canada to rapidly implement a permissive policy environment to compete with the United States' Inflation Reduction Act and to foster equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The report argues that transitioning from a "take, make, waste" economy to a circular one is essential for Canada to meet its climate targets, as energy transitions alone cannot address emissions from resource extraction and material use. It identifies significant emissions-reduction opportunities in the metals, construction, plastics, and food sectors, while noting that Canada is currently at a nascent stage of implementation compared to leaders like Japan and the European Union. The document emphasizes that 'upstream' measures—such as demand suppression, product life extension, and smarter design—offer greater climate benefits than downstream recycling. It highlights critical barriers in Canada, including opaque material flow data, regulatory hurdles for recycled aggregates, and a lack of comprehensive national circularity goals. The report recommends that Canada develop a formal roadmap, integrate circularity into its Nationally Determined Contributions, and utilize tools like carbon pricing and green public procurement to incentivize the shift.

The report examines the investment landscape for first-of-kind clean fuel projects in Canada, distinguishing between standard market risks and systemic market or policy failures. Through financial modelling of five project archetypes, the study finds that most are currently uneconomic and require targeted government intervention to become bankable. Key barriers include policy uncertainty, infrastructure deficits, skilled labour shortages, and the complexities of establishing equitable Indigenous partnerships.

The report examines the opportunity to phase out residential central air conditioners in Canada in favor of heat pumps. It argues that because the two technologies are mechanically similar, a market transformation strategy could bypass significant adoption barriers. The authors project that installing heat pumps instead of central air conditioners from 2025 to 2035 would result in C$12.6 billion in net benefits, including C$10.4 billion in energy bill savings and a reduction of 19.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. The document identifies barriers such as low consumer familiarity, high upfront costs, and emergency replacement cycles, and proposes implementation routes including national equipment mandates, building code updates, and upstream incentives for distributors.

The report examines the potential for decarbonizing Canada's residential building sector by replacing central air conditioners with heat pumps. It identifies five primary barriers to adoption—lack of familiarity, the infrequent nature of HVAC replacement, short decision windows during emergencies, limited stock, and higher initial costs. The authors model a scenario where all new central air conditioners are replaced by heat pumps from 2025 to 2035, projecting a net benefit of 12.6 billion CAD, including 10.4 billion CAD in energy bill savings and a reduction of 19.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The document proposes several policy interventions, including national equipment regulations, updated building codes, and upstream incentives for distributors and manufacturers, while highlighting the importance of energy justice for low-income tenants and vulnerable populations.

The document argues that while Bill S-5 is a positive step toward modernizing CEPA, it requires further amendments to ensure the right to a healthy environment is robustly implemented and that toxic substance assessments and risk management are transparent and timely. Key recommendations include establishing mandatory labelling for hazardous consumer products, setting strict timelines for substance assessments, and shifting the burden of proof for confidentiality claims to the requesting party.

The document outlines the shift from static school bus business models to new arrangements necessitated by the different cost structures of electric school buses (ESBs). While ESBs have higher upfront capital costs, they offer lower operating costs and a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) over time, with TCO parity with diesel buses projected by 2029. The guide identifies six key roles in the ESB ecosystem—bus owner, charger owner, bus operator, bus maintenance provider, energy/fuel manager, and electricity customer—and provides examples of various business models, including Charging-as-a-Service and Transportation-as-a-Service, implemented by districts in California, Quebec, Virginia, Illinois, and Maryland.

The document asserts that Canada's reliance on oil, gas, and coal leaves it vulnerable to global market volatility and geopolitical shocks, despite being a major producer. It argues that renewable energy sources like wind and solar are now more cost-effective than fossil fuels and can provide long-term price stability because they do not require input fuels. The brief highlights Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity as a key asset for balancing variable renewables and suggests that electrifying transport and heating will further reduce exposure to fossil fuel price spikes. It concludes that prioritizing investments in flexible, integrated electricity grids and energy efficiency is essential for achieving a non-emitting electricity grid by 2035 and ensuring affordable energy security.

The document asserts that Canada's reliance on oil, gas, and coal exposes it to global market volatility and geopolitical risks, as evidenced by record-high fuel prices in 2022. It argues that renewable energy sources like wind and solar are now more cost-effective than fossil fuels and provide long-term price stability because they do not require input fuels. The brief highlights Canada's existing hydroelectric capacity and transmission infrastructure as key assets for integrating variable renewables. It recommends accelerating the electrification of transportation and heating, improving interprovincial grid connectivity, and investing in energy storage to achieve a non-emitting electricity grid by 2035.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Edmonton City Council to ban cosmetic pesticides, asserting that such bans are popular, cost-effective, and essential for protecting human and environmental health. CAPE argues that the current risk assessment approach is insufficient and advocates for an 'alternatives assessment' paradigm that prioritizes hazard prevention over acceptable risk. The document links pesticide use to broader planetary health crises, noting that pesticides can negatively impact soil biodiversity and carbon sequestration, thereby exacerbating the climate emergency. CAPE cites various health risks associated with pesticides, including links to cancers, reproductive problems, and Parkinson's disease, and points to successful bans in other jurisdictions as models for Edmonton to follow.

The document asserts that Canada lacks the necessary infrastructure to provide immediate LNG supplies to the EU following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It highlights that while the EU seeks short-term alternatives, it is simultaneously accelerating its 'Fit for 55' and 'REPower' plans to reduce gas demand and achieve climate neutrality. With new Canadian projects taking at least three years to complete, the author concludes that such investments risk becoming stranded assets as European demand declines.

The report analyzes the status of women in the Canadian large-scale mining sector, finding that they are persistently underrepresented at approximately 16% of the workforce. While women in mining are often highly educated and concentrated in professional or exploration roles, they face systemic barriers including gender pay gaps, limited access to support networks, and higher rates of unresolved discrimination and harassment. The document recommends that governments mandate disaggregated data reporting and integrate psychological safety into occupational health and safety legislation to improve workplace culture and equity.

The document examines the feasibility of using Canadian LNG to replace Russian gas in the EU, concluding that the 3-to-5-year timeline for building new Canadian facilities is incompatible with the EU's immediate needs and its medium-term goal of phasing out gas by 2025-2027.

Canada committed in 2009 to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, a goal it recently accelerated to 2023. However, the lack of a clear, shared definition of 'inefficient' remains a barrier. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada should adopt the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies and apply four specific criteria—alignment with climate commitments, support for the low carbon economy, just transition consistency, and the effectiveness of the policy goal—to identify which subsidies are inefficient. The brief highlights that federal subsidies totaled at least CAD 1.91 billion in 2020, with additional billions provided at the provincial level.

The report argues that Canada's oil and gas sector must dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, specifically fugitive methane, to survive falling global demand. It proposes a short-term focus on decarbonizing production through a sector-specific emissions cap and a long-term pivot toward becoming 'carbon management' companies. These companies would leverage Canada's geological advantages to produce blue and green hydrogen, low-carbon chemical feedstocks, and carbon-negative products using carbon capture and storage (CCS) and direct air capture.

The report argues that the Canadian oil and gas sector, which accounted for nearly 27% of national greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, must transition to remain competitive as global demand for crude oil is projected to decline by approximately 80% by 2050. Short-term priorities include a drastic reduction of methane fugitive emissions—targeting a 75% reduction by 2030—and the implementation of a sector-specific emissions cap that declines to net-zero by 2050. Long-term, the author proposes that the industry pivot toward producing low-carbon fuels and chemical feedstocks using blue and green hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and biomass. The report suggests creating industrial hubs in locations like Fort Saskatchewan and Medicine Hat to coordinate the production and storage of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, effectively transforming oil and gas companies into 'carbon management companies'.

The policy brief argues that Canada lacks a shared definition of 'inefficient fossil fuel subsidies,' which hinders its commitment to phase them out. It proposes a four-part assessment framework—alignment with climate commitments, support for a low-carbon economy, just transition consistency, and overall policy effectiveness—to ensure transparency and accountability in eliminating these subsidies.

The briefing argues that Canada lacks a clear definition of 'inefficient' fossil fuel subsidies, which hinders its commitment to phase them out. It proposes four criteria for evaluation: compliance with climate commitments, support for a low-emission economy, consistency with a just transition, and optimal policy achievement. The authors recommend adopting the WTO definition of subsidies and applying these criteria to both federal and provincial funding to ensure transparency and accountability.

The submission argues that the current pesticide regulatory framework in Canada is inadequate, citing historical failures to prevent unacceptable risks and a reliance on risk assessment over hazard prevention. The authors advocate for a 'planetary health' approach that integrates climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice into pesticide regulation. They propose 22 detailed recommendations across four areas: lifecycle approach to business practices, improved risk assessment for vulnerable populations, increased transparency in decision-making, and a more rigorous application of real-world data and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). Key goals include a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030 and the adoption of the precautionary principle.