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508 documents from Canadian Climate Institute
UP TO THE CHALLENGE: ACHIEVING A NET ZERO GRID IN ALBERTA
The report finds that Alberta can almost completely decarbonize its electricity generation within the next decade using wind, solar, and gas with carbon capture. While federal Clean Electricity Regulations are a point of political contention, modelling suggests they have little impact on the long-term supply mix compared to the massive projected growth in electricity demand driven by industrial electrification. The transition's success depends on scaling up transmission infrastructure and maintaining policy stability to attract private investment.
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Document type: Report
RELEVER LE DÉFI : ATTEINDRE LA CARBONEUTRALITÉ DU RÉSEAU EN ALBERTA
The report concludes that Alberta has the natural resources and capacity to decarbonize its electricity production almost completely within the next decade. It highlights a transition dominated by wind, solar, and natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), while noting that the primary challenge is not land availability but the expansion of transmission infrastructure to meet a potentially doubling demand for electricity driven by industrial electrification.
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Document type: Report
Canada’s clean energy transition: Provincial road maps
The Canadian Climate Institute advocates for 'electric federalism,' where provinces lead energy transitions with federal funding and guardrails. It argues that while Canada has a strong non-emitting electricity base, meeting emission goals requires doubling or tripling grid capacity. The author contends that provincial governments lack aligned climate and energy policies, creating uncertainty for utilities. To resolve this, the document suggests the federal government adopt the Electricity Advisory Council's recommendation to replace strict 2035 net zero electricity deadlines with a single requirement: the creation of energy road maps targeting net zero domestic energy by 2050 with five-year milestones.
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Document type: Statement
A NET ZERO FUTURE FOR MANITOBA THROUGH BIGGER, CLEANER, SMARTER ELECTRICITY
Manitoba's transition to a net-zero economy requires expanding its electricity grid to accommodate significant load growth from the electrification of space heating, transportation, and industry. While the province currently generates 99% of its electricity from non-emitting sources, projections suggest installed capacity may need to double by mid-century. The report compares modelling from Manitoba Hydro and Navius Research, noting a divergence in the projected role of natural gas; Manitoba Hydro's aggressive electrification scenario relies heavily on gas for winter peak demand, whereas Navius suggests a greater role for intermittent renewables and storage. To ensure a cost-effective transition, the report recommends establishing a permanent electricity task force, creating a detailed energy roadmap, expanding the mandate of Efficiency Manitoba, and ensuring meaningful Indigenous participation and ownership in clean energy projects.
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Document type: Report
UN RÉSEAU ÉLECTRIQUE PLUS GRAND, PLUS PROPRE ET PLUS INTELLIGENT POUR UN AVENIR CARBONEUTRE AU MANITOBA
The document analyzes the electrification needs of Manitoba, comparing Hydro-Manitoba's Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) with Navius Research modeling. It concludes that while electricity demand is expected to nearly double by 2050, the pace and method of electrification—particularly in heating—will determine the grid's cost and carbon intensity. The authors recommend a coordinated governance approach, including a permanent decision-level task force and a comprehensive carbon-neutral energy roadmap, to ensure the transition is affordable and inclusive of Indigenous peoples.
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Document type: Policy brief
Positioning ourselves
The document examines the structural exclusion of Inuit from Canada's federal climate policy and proposes a shift toward an 'Indigenous resurgence paradigm' to ensure equitable representation. It identifies barriers such as tokenistic engagement and the failure to differentiate between northern and southern regional needs. The study highlights existing frameworks, such as the National Inuit Climate Change Strategy and the Circumpolar Inuit Protocols for Equitable and Ethical Engagement, as essential guides for achieving Inuit-led climate justice.
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Document type: Case study
INDIGENOUS SEED KEEPING: A CULTURAL FOOD AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION PRACTICE
The document examines Indigenous seed keeping in Canada as a critical tool for climate adaptation and food sovereignty. It highlights how colonialism and climate change jointly threaten the preservation of culturally significant seed varieties and the transmission of traditional knowledge. The analysis reveals a significant gap between the needs of Indigenous seed keepers—who require multi-year, flexible, and self-determined funding—and the prescriptive, market-oriented models used by Canadian government and philanthropic actors. It specifically critiques the National Adaptation Strategy and the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy for failing to recognize seed adaptation as a key climate action. The report concludes with recommendations for Indigenous-led governance models and low-barrier resource distribution to support the resilience of Indigenous food systems.
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Document type: Case study
Decolonizing Climate Policy in British Columbia
The document examines the role of First Nations' Ceremony in shaping climate policy in British Columbia, highlighting the disconnect between colonial policy frameworks and Indigenous worldviews. It argues that Ceremony is not merely symbolic but a pragmatic governance tool that fosters interconnectedness and responsibility toward the Land. The authors critique historical and current Canadian policies for marginalizing Indigenous rights and recommend a paradigm shift that centres the well-being of the Land, implements UNDRIP, and integrates Ceremony into co-development processes between governments and First Nations.
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Document type: Case study
Décoloniser la politique climatique en Colombie-Britannique
The document examines the role of Indigenous Ceremony as a foundational framework for climate policy in British Columbia. It argues that colonial policy structures, characterized by inequality and a disconnect from the land, are inadequate for addressing the climate crisis. By integrating Ceremony—which emphasizes reciprocity, responsibility, and interconnection with the Earth—into governance, the author suggests a paradigm shift from profit-centered to Earth-centered decision-making. The text highlights historical colonial harms, such as the potlatch ban and forced relocation to flood-prone reserves, and recommends that federal and provincial governments support First Nations-led policy development aligned with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
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Document type: Case study
CONSERVATION AUTOCHTONE DES SEMENCES : UNE PRATIQUE DE L’ALIMENTATION CULTURELLE ET DE L’ADAPTATION AUX CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES
The document examines how Indigenous seed keepers in Canada adapt ancestral and new seed varieties to changing climatic conditions to ensure food sovereignty. It highlights that these efforts are severely hindered by the legacy of colonialism—including land dispossession and the disruption of intergenerational knowledge transfer—and by a lack of culturally appropriate, multi-year funding. The report further argues that Canadian federal climate and agricultural strategies, such as the National Adaptation Strategy and the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy, largely erase Indigenous leadership and fail to recognize seed conservation as a critical climate action.
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Document type: Report
Notre positionnement
The document examines the structural exclusion of Inuit people from Canada's federal climate policy framework, highlighting the failure to respect the right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It identifies key barriers, such as the lack of regional differentiation between Northern and Southern Canada and the tendency for government engagement to be symbolic rather than substantive. The study advocates for a 'paradigm of indigenous resurgence' to center Inuit knowledge, land-based relations, and inclusive community mobilization. It references the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's National Inuit Climate Change Strategy and the Inuit Circumpolar Council's protocols as essential frameworks for ethical engagement and climate justice.
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Document type: Case study
Independent Assessment of Carbon Pricing Systems in Canada Modeling Appendix
The document outlines the gTech-IESD modeling framework used to assess Canadian carbon pricing. It details ten policy scenarios ranging from 'No policy' to 'Announced policies with binding LETS systems', alongside sensitivity analyses for oil prices and technology costs. The report specifies macroeconomic inputs from the PBO and CER, and provides a comprehensive inventory of legislated and announced federal and provincial climate policies, including fuel charges, Large Emitter Trading Systems (LETS), and various investment tax credits.
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Document type: Report
Comment la politique peut-elle garantir un chauffage abordable et fiable des bâtiments dans le cadre de la transition vers la carboneutralité au Canada?
The document argues that achieving cost-effective net-zero emissions in Canada's building sector requires a significant shift toward electrification and a cessation of gas network expansion. It highlights a misalignment between current utility regulations—which continue to incentivize gas infrastructure growth—and the necessary transition to clean energy. The briefing recommends that provincial governments legally mandate net-zero targets for regulators, prioritize electrification over gas for new developments, and develop managed contraction plans for existing gas networks to avoid stranded assets and protect taxpayers.
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Document type: Briefing
Comment les politiques d’aujourd’hui stimuleront ou retarderont la transition des bâtiments vers un chauffage propre et fiable
The report argues that achieving cost-optimal carbon neutrality in Canada's building sector requires a massive shift toward electrification, primarily through heat pumps, and a significant reduction in gas network reliance. It warns that current regulatory inertia and the continued expansion of gas infrastructure create risks of 'stranded assets' and higher costs for taxpayers. The authors recommend that provincial governments provide clear long-term strategic guidance, mandate net-zero targets, and empower regulators to prioritize electrification over gas expansion to protect long-term affordability and reliability.
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Document type: Report
How policy can ensure affordable and reliable building heat in Canada's net zero transition
The document outlines the necessity of shifting Canada's building heat from gas to electricity to meet net-zero targets cost-effectively. It warns that continued expansion of gas networks risks creating stranded assets and higher costs for ratepayers. The author argues that current utility regulation is insufficient for the energy transition and recommends that provincial governments legislate net-zero targets, prioritize electrification over gas expansion, and implement managed contractions of gas networks while centering equity in policy design.
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Document type: Briefing
HEAT EXCHANGE
The report finds that a cost-optimal path to net zero in Canada requires a massive shift toward electrification of building heat, with electricity powering 78% to 91% of annual space heating demand by 2050. It argues that continued expansion of gas networks is inconsistent with these goals and risks creating stranded assets. The analysis highlights a critical gap in provincial policy leadership, noting that current utility regulation—which incentivizes infrastructure growth—is ill-suited for the energy transition. To mitigate risks, the report recommends that provincial governments legislate net zero targets, mandate electrification for new buildings, and equip regulators to manage the gradual contraction of gas networks while investing in electricity capacity and peak demand management.
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Document type: Report
Global Flood Map Methodology Documentation
The report outlines the technical process of combining Fathom's Global Flood Map (v3.1) with Public Safety Canada's residential building data and probabilistic vulnerability functions. It describes the use of 'big data' from US FEMA insurance claims to model damage distributions across 10 residential building types. The methodology accounts for flood defenses based on urbanization levels and applies the trapezium rule across eight return periods to estimate economic losses. Results show that Canada's defended AAL is projected to increase from 1,423 million CAD in 2020 to 1,681 million CAD by 2050, while undefended AAL is significantly higher, reaching 5,050 million CAD by 2050.
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Document type: Report
Canada needs to attract $140 billion in annual investment to reach net zero
The authors argue that Canada requires $140 billion in annual investment to reach net zero, but attracting this private capital requires greater policy certainty. They propose three specific measures: establishing a green and transition taxonomy, providing confidence in the industrial carbon price through carbon contracts for difference, and developing a clean electricity grid as envisioned by the Clean Electricity Regulations to remain competitive against other jurisdictions and avoid carbon-related border adjustments.
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Document type: Statement
Risques d’inondation : le dilemme des assurances
The document discusses the challenges of flood insurance in Canada, where approximately 10% of households live in high-risk areas and are largely uninsurable. It evaluates the federal government's proposal for a low-cost public insurance program, warning that without strict design—such as excluding new builds, using risk-based premiums, and offering resilience discounts—the program could encourage risky development and become a financial burden. The author emphasizes that insurance must be part of a comprehensive strategy including land-use limits, mandatory risk disclosure, and reformed disaster financial assistance to ensure long-term climate resilience.
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Document type: Policy brief
Flood insurance risks in Canada
The document examines the challenges of flood insurance in Canada, where approximately 1.5 million high-risk homes lack affordable coverage. It argues that while a proposed federal low-cost insurance program could provide a necessary safety net, it must be integrated into a broader resilience strategy to avoid 'moral hazard' and financial instability. The author recommends specific design measures—such as excluding new builds, phasing in risk-based premiums, and incentivizing mitigation—alongside government restrictions on floodplain development and improved risk disclosure in real estate.
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Document type: Policy brief