Net-Zero Advisory Body Second Annual Report
January 21, 2025
The Net-Zero Advisory Body (NZAB) released its second annual report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in tandem with its publication on Canada.ca. The NZAB’s mandate under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act is to provide independent advice to the Minister with respect to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, including:
- greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets for 2030, 2035, 2040, and 2045;
- emission reduction plans from the Government of Canada, including measures and sectoral strategies that the government could implement to achieve a GHG emissions target; and
- any matter referred to us by the Minister.
Last year, the Minister requested advice from the NZAB on how to achieve Canada’s 2030 target and on the setting of Canada’s 2035 target. To inform their advice, NZAB engaged industry experts, academics, labour representatives, Indigenous partners and non-governmental organizations. NZAB’s advice on these topics, Climate’s Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada’s 2035 Target and Closing the Gap: Reaching Canada’s 2030 Emissions Gap was pre-published in September 2024, and comprise Volumes 2 and 3, respectively, of their second annual report. Volume 1 of their report includes an overview of activities undertaken since our last annual report and strategic priorities.
Highlights
In October 2023, the Minister requested advice from NZAB to inform development of a 2035 target and ensure it is compatible with net-zero emissions by 2050. Volume 2, Climate’s Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada’s 2035 target, offers 3 pieces of advice in response to this request.
1. Develop a carbon budget
2. Adopt a target of 50-55% below 2005
3. Address Canada’s excess emissions
In July 2023, the Minister requested advice on additional measures that the Government of Canada could implement to achieve its 2030 emissions reduction target. Net-Zero Adivisory Body recomendations, detailed in Volume 3, Closing the Gap: Reaching Canada’s 2030 Emissions Target, focus on 5 pieces of advice on how to finish what has been started, improve what exists, and then implement new policies:
1. Finalize announced measures
2. Address negative interactions
3. Strengthen industrial carbon pricing
4. Secure additional emission from the oil and gas sector
5. Evaluate and pursue additional measures.
Our Synthesis Report, also provides updates on our ongoing lines of inquiry from the first annual report including:
- net zero energy systems,
- net zero governance, and
- net zero industrial policy.
Building on our advice in Volume 2 to address Canada’s excess emissions, we have also commenced work on a new line of inquiry on the ways to address those emissions. Work on these lines of inquiry will set the stage for our third annual report.
Links
- Volume 1: Synthesis Report. Second Annual Report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
- Volume 2: Climate’s Bottom Line: Carbon Budgeting and Canada’s 2035 Target. Second Annual Report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
- Volume 3: Closing the Gap: Reaching Canada’s 2030 Emissions Target. Second Annual Report to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
