Strategies and Plans — Realizing a carbon neutral economy

Federal Strategies and Plans Relating to the Environment and Climate Change

As part of our SSHRC research on new governance arrangements for a carbon neutral economy, we have developed an illustrative inventory of the Federal Government’s legislation, strategies and plans over a ten-year period, 2013 to 2023. Included in the inventory are critiques by climate organizations, non-governmental organizations and some quasi-governmental institutions and research institutes. We have not included critiques from groups that are opposed to climate change adaptation and mitigation as our basic assumption leading into the research is that the climate imperative is now more urgent than ever before and that transformative change in governments is urgently needed. As UNFCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres emphasized in 2015, it is all about political will and governments must step up immediate climate action.

This is an illustrative inventory, not an exhaustive list. Our intent is to simply show how much activity the federal government has been involved in and, if possible, to illuminate some of the tensions and barriers that are still impeding transformative change.

Federal Environment and Climate Strategies

Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (2016)
Commentaries and Critiques
Indigenous Climate Action (2021). Decolonizing Climate Policy in Canada: Report from Phase One.
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2022). Just Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy [Report to Parliament].
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2021). Lessons Learned from Canada’s Record on Climate Change [Report to Parliament].
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2016)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2018). Conserving Biodiversity [Report to Parliament].
Ray, J. C., Grimm, J., & Olive, A. (2021). The Biodiversity Crisis in Canada: Failures and Challenges of Federal and Sub-national Strategic and Legal Frameworks. Facets, 6(1), 1044-1068.
Carbon Pollution Pricing (2018)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2022). Carbon Pricing [Report to Parliament].
Canadian Institute for Climate Choices (2021). The State of Carbon Pricing in Canada: Key Findings and Recommendations.
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Aligning Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector with Net Zero.
Environmental Defence (2022). Buyer Beware: Fossil Fuels Subsidies and Carbon Capture Fairy Tales in Canada.
Arctic and Northern Policy Framework (2019)
Commentaries and Critiques
Kikkert, P., & Lackenbauer, P. W. (2019). Canada’s Arctic and Northern policy framework: A roadmap for the future? [Briefing Note]. Arctic Yearbook 2019.
Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030 (2019)
Commentaries and Critiques
Council of Canadian Academies (2022). Building a Resilient Canada: The Expert Panel on Disaster Resilience in a Changing Climate.
March of Dimes Canada (2020). Ensuring No One is Left Behind: The Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Climate Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Greening Government Strategy: A Government of Canada Directive (2020)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2022). Greening Government Strategy [Report to Parliament].
Hydrogen Strategy for Canada (2020)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2022). Hydrogen’s Potential to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions [Report to Parliament].
Environmental Defence (2022). Buyer Beware: Fossil Fuels Subsidies and Carbon Capture Fairy Tales in Canada.
Canada’s Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (2021)
Commentaries and Critiques
Linden-Fraser, Ross (2023). Happy birthday, Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act! [Canadian Climate Institute].
Canadian Climate Institute (2021). Canada’s Net-Zero Future: Finding out Way in the Global Transition.
Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy – Moving Forward Together (2021)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2021). Implementing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals [Report to Parliament].
National Active Transportation Strategy 2021-2026 (2021)
Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, 2022-2026 (2022)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2022). Comments on the Draft 2022–2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
Faster and Further: Canada’s Methane Strategy (2022)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2023). Emission Reductions Through Greenhouse Gas Regulations [Report to Parliament].
Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy: Building Resilient Communities and a Strong Economy (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Toward a Safer and More Resilient Canada: An independent assessment of the draft National Adaptation Strategy.
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Expert assessment recommends improvements to National Adaptation Strategy [News Release].
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Closing Canada’s adaptation gap: Key elements of a National Adaptation Strategy [Discussion Paper].
Clean Fuel Regulations (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2023). Emission Reductions Through Greenhouse Gas Regulations [Report to Parliament].
Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies Framework (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Environmental Defence (2022). Buyer Beware: Fossil Fuels Subsidies and Carbon Capture Fairy Tales in Canada.
International Institute for Sustainable Development and Équiterre (2022). Identifying Inefficient Fossil Fuel Subsidies in Canada [Policy Brief].

Federal Environment and Climate Change Plans

Investing in Canada Plan (2016)
Commentaries and Critiques
Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2021). Investing in Canada Plan [Report to Parliament].
A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy: Canada’s strengthened climate plan to create jobs and support people, communities and the planet (2020)
Commentaries and Critiques
Indigenous Climate Action (2021). Decolonizing Climate Policy in Canada: Report from Phase One.
Clean Prosperity (2023). Achieving net-zero pathways for Canada: What progress are we on track to make by 2050?
Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan (2022)
Commentaries and Critiques
Net-Zero Advisory Body (2023). Compete and Succeed in a Net Zero Future: First Annual Report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Independent Assessment: 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan.
Climate Action Tracker: Canada (2022).
C.D. Howe Institute (2022). Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: What’s Realistic? [Policy Seminar Summary].
Canada’s Aviation Climate Action Plan 2022-2030 (2022)
Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Canadian Climate Institute (2022). Toward a Safer and More Resilient Canada: An independent assessment of the draft National Adaptation Strategy.
Sustainable Jobs Plan (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Smart Prosperity Institute (2022). Jobs and Skills in the Transition to a Net-Zero Economy: A Foresight Exercise.
Powering Canada Forward: Building a clean, affordable and reliable electricity system for every region of Canada (2023)
Commentaries and Critiques
Canadian Climate Institute (2023). Clean Electricity, Affordable Energy.

Strategies and Plans in Development

Clean Electricity Regulations (proposed for 2024)
Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy (proposed for 2024)

Download a PDF version of this inventory here.

An inventory of Federal legislation relating to the environment and climate change is available here.