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A look at details of framework agreement on climate change

#613 of 2551 articles from the Special Report: Race Against Climate Change
Justin Trudeau, Kathleen Wynne, First Ministers meeting
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne at the First Ministers meeting in Ottawa, December 2016. File photo by Canadian Press.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won the agreement Friday of eight provinces and all three territories for an "historic" pan−Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change.

The agreement is intended ensure Canada meets, or exceeds, the 2030 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels, as promised at last year’s U.N.−sponsored climate change summit.

The core measure is imposition of a national price on carbon, starting at $10 per tonne of carbon emissions in 2018, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022. The federal government will impose that price in provinces that refuse to adopt their own carbon pricing regimes.

In a concession to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, outside experts will evaluate the effectiveness and comparability of different carbon pricing mechanisms, with an interim report due in 2020 and a final evaluation in early 2022.

Beyond that, the first ministers agreed to:

  • Develop new building codes to improve energy efficiency.
  • Deploy more charging stations for electric vehicles.
  • Phase out coal−fired power by 2030 and expand clean electricity systems. Trudeau says the goal is to have Canada powered by 90 per cent clean energy in 13 years.
  • Reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.
  • Protect and enhance carbon stored in forests, wetlands and farm land.
  • Set an example by driving significant emission reductions from government operations.
  • Deliver annual progress reports on implementation of the agreement.

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