John Woodside
Senior Ottawa Reporter | Ottawa |
English
About John Woodside
John Woodside was named one of Canada Clean50's emerging leaders in 2023 for his outstanding reporting on the climate and related issues. Focusing on finance, lobbying, energy policy and the climate emergency from Ottawa, Woodside brings a depth of experience to Canada's National Observer. Before joining Canada's National Observer, John reported on energy for allNewBrunswick and allNewfoundlandLabrador, and focused on Muskrat Falls, nuclear power, and the Irving group of companies.He has also worked with Cited Media and with the foreign policy news outlet OpenCanada. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Masters in Journalism.
Canada backs call for plastic production limits at international summit
In South Korea as countries negotiate a new treaty to address plastic pollution, Canada joined a powerful negotiating bloc of over 100 countries working to ensure the treaty includes a global target to reduce virgin plastics to sustainable levels — a measure Big Plastic is fighting tooth and nail.
While plastics are negotiated internationally, a First Nation breathes toxic air in Chemical Valley
This week as Canada’s National Observer toured the refineries at the doorstep of Aamjiwaang First Nation, rotten egg and acrid chemical smells wafted over children playing ball hockey nearby. Air monitoring data revealed another spike of sulphur dioxide on Nov. 26, reaching 300 parts per billion — a level more than four times higher than the maximum hourly concentrations set by the federal government. Just another day in Chemical Valley.
‘This COP truly sucked’: advocates slam paltry finance deal inked at UN summit
Rich countries agreeing to provide at least US$300 billion to developing countries by 2035 for climate action is a “band-aid on a bullet wound,” according to advocates, following the stunning failure of COP29 to land an ambitious climate finance goal.
COP29 presidency slammed as ‘deplorable’ as countries head into the homestretch to land climate finance package
As the annual climate change negotiations enter their final days with countries still deeply divided over key issues, Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault called host country Azerbaijan's lack of ambition "deplorable" for the disappointing options on the table.
Despite net-zero pledge, Canada Pension Plan pumps billions in new fossil fuels
So far this year the Canada Pension Plan has pumped over $3 billion into fossil fuels, despite pledging to reach net-zero emissions. The risks to the economy and planet are growing, and advocates say the pension fund must transition out of coal, oil and gas before it's too late.
Canadian oil and gas lobbyists flock to UN climate negotiations
An analysis of the delegate list conducted by Canada's National Observer shows Big Oil lobbyists from Canada are out in full force to influence the annual UN climate change summit in their favour. After years of derailing negotiations, climate advocates say it's time to bar fossil fuel companies from the meetings for good.
Staggeringly high fossil fuel export emissions deserve urgent response, advocates say
Newly surfaced federal data on Canada's exported emissions reveals a concerning trend. Despite emission reduction efforts at home, Canada's exported emissions from coal, oil and gas are dramatically climbing — and wiping out domestic progress.
At COP29, countries wrestle with financing the green transition
International climate change negotiations are kicking off this week in Azerbaijan, with trillions of dollars that will decide the fate of the planet’s warming trajectory set to be negotiated against a global backdrop of worsening extreme weather.
Will the pollution cap’s loopholes be fixed before an election?
Ottawa announced its historic carbon emissions cap this week, but climate advocates want to see greater detail about how exactly the regulations will work — as they worry about what a change in government would mean for the new system.
‘Extremely dangerous for the world’ Trump election spells disaster for climate efforts
Trump may be a climate-denying fossil fuel booster, but the climate science isn’t changing. The crisis is real, it is here, and much work remains to cut global emissions in half by decade’s end — as scientists say is urgently required.