2024 Reports 6 to 10 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of Canada—Time is running out for federal government to achieve bulk of emissions reductions

2024 Reports 6 to 10 of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the Parliament of CanadaTime is running out for federal government to achieve bulk of emissions reductions

Ottawa, 7 November 2024—A report released today by Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Jerry V. DeMarco concluded that the federal government has not made sufficient progress to meet Canada’s 2030 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 45% from 2005 levels. This leaves only 6 years to achieve the bulk of reductions.

This conclusion echoes that of the Commissioner’s first report under the Canadian Net‑Zero Emissions Accountability Act, released in 2023, that looked at Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. That audit found that the plan was insufficient to meet the 2030 target because key reduction measures were delayed or not prioritized.

This year’s report assessed progress to date on implementing 20 climate change mitigation measures, progress against 41 past recommendations, and the transparency of the federal government’s first progress report under the act. The audit found that the implementation of 9 of the 20 measures was on track; for example, the delivery of funding for zero‑emission vehicles, and 11 faced challenges. In addition, measures were being implemented too slowly and estimates of expected emissions reductions were often overly optimistic.

The assessment of federal organizations’ progress in implementing 41 recommendations related to climate change from 7 previously published audit reports found that although some progress had been made, it was not always timely and some deadlines had been missed.

“Our body of work has shown that the stakes grow ever higher each year, and the window of opportunity to reduce emissions and meet Canada’s 2030 target rapidly closing,” said Mr. DeMarco. “The federal government must act quickly and decisively by implementing effective measures.”

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The 2024 Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Report 7—Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act—2024 Report, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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