Federal climate plan credible as long as policies quickly follow, says independent assessment

OTTAWA, 5 April 2022 – Independent assessment and modelling from the Canadian Climate Institute concludes the federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan is credible, but its success will depend on accelerating the implementation of a handful of specific policies. Specifically, the Climate Institute’s analysis shows that the Plan’s success relies on five critical policies, which will together account for nearly two-thirds of the emissions reductions needed to meet the 2030 milestone: continued tightening of Canada’s carbon pricing regime, an oil and gas cap, a Clean Electricity Standard, policies for land-use emissions reductions, and a strengthened Clean Fuel Standard. 

“Our independent assessment found the government’s plan to be comprehensive and credible—but time is short, the goal is necessarily ambitious, and hitting that goal is of crucial importance to Canada’s future security and prosperity,” said Rick Smith, President of the Canadian Climate Institute. “If the federal government focuses its energies on getting five policies right, then Canada will be on a promising trajectory towards meeting its 2026 objective and its 2030 milestone.”

Emissions Reduction Plans are a new and important planning tool for the federal government, with subsequent plans to be released every five years under the federal government’s net zero accountability law. In early March 2022, the Canadian Climate Institute released a framework for assessing Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plans. This framework formed the basis of the report released today, which analyzes and independently validates the federal government’s first Emissions Reduction Plan.

“The government’s focus now has to shift to implementation,” said Dave Sawyer, principal economist at the Canadian Climate Institute. “According to our calculations, at least 43 per cent of the emissions reductions are accounted for from policies that have been announced but that still need to be developed. Ultimately, Canada’s success in achieving its emissions milestones will depend not on the credibility of planned policies or modelled outcomes, but on how, and how quickly, the government’s chosen policies are actually implemented.”

The Climate Institute’s independent assessment tempered its positive assessment of the government’s plan with a few notes of caution. In particular, the assessment warned that the many policies included in the 2030 Plan may overlap and could lead to increased costs without driving the necessary emissions reductions.

“The sheer number of policies included in the 2030 Plan could be double-edged,” said Dale Beugin, Vice-President of Research at the Canadian Climate Institute. “Interactions among overlapping policies can sometimes impair performance. So it’s also vital that the government commit to tracking emissions information and adjusting policies as needed.”

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Initial response on Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

Rick Smith, President of the Canadian Climate Institute, issued the following initial statement in response to today’s publication of the federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan:

“This is a watershed moment for Canadian climate policy. For the first time ever, Canada has a comprehensive and detailed plan for meeting its emissions reduction targets. The plan includes necessary elements such as a path forward for implementation, accountability mechanisms to help course correct, and a sector-by-sector approach.”

“A plan is just a plan without action. Expedited implementation will be key to success, and Canada now needs to shift into high gear.”

“The Institute’s framework for Canada’s Emissions Reduction Plans determined that a robust approach needs three core elements: a credible path to net zero, credible policies to get there, and adaptive processes to ensure timely adjustments along the way. In the coming days, we will publish a detailed analysis of the federal plan to independently assess if it puts Canada on track to meet our emissions reduction obligations.”

Experts at the Climate Institute reacted as follows:

“The Emissions Reductions Plan demonstrates a path to achieving deep emissions reductions by 2030, but only if the federal government accelerates policy implementation and is ready to adjust and adapt the Plan over time.” —Dale Beugin, VP Research

“The Plan provides a level of modeling transparency that we have not seen before. This is a big step forward to help provide assurance that the Plan is credible.” —Dave Sawyer, Principal Economist.

Key takeaways from the plan

  • This is a comprehensive plan that will drive emission reductions from all sectors of the economy. The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan includes policies for all major sources of emissions, including buildings, transportation, heavy industry, and the oil and gas sector. 
  • It is also ambitious. The 40 per cent emissions reduction target, along with the interim target of 20 per cent by 2026 from 2005 levels, is consistent with pathways to net zero by 2050. It is aligned with the net zero pathways outlined in our report Canada’s Net Zero Future.
  • The Plan uses economic modelling to demonstrate a credible path to achieving the 2030 emissions milestone.  
  • The Plan is policy-driven, and does not rely on untested technology “wild cards.” At the same time, there is sufficient incentive for innovation of new technologies to support long-term, deep emissions reductions.
  • A few specific policy elements are new and notable:
    • To make carbon pricing work better by increasing policy certainty, the government will explore approaches to de-risk private sector low-carbon investments through approaches such as carbon contracts for differences.
    • Expanding on the contribution from the transportation sector, Canada will aim to reach 35 per cent of medium-and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) sales being ZEVs by 2030. 
    • A significant expansion in funding to support technology deployment and innovation necessary for achieving longer-term reductions.
  • The Plan takes a sector-by-sector approach, which supports clear expectations about the contributions of each sector to achieving the national milestones. This transparency can help industry’s and investors’ medium-term planning. It also increases the credibility of the Plan and also allows its progress to be tracked and adapted as necessary.
  • For example, the Plan includes a 31 per cent emissions reduction contribution from the oil and gas industry, the largest sectoral emitter in the country. Multiple policies are focused on reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector.
  • The Plan recognizes that pathways to 2030 and on to 2050 must also ensure the competitiveness of the Canadian economy and the wellbeing of Canadians.
  • Implementation is the next big challenge. There is a lot to do in a short amount of time as noted in our assessment framework. Not all policies in the Plan have been fully designed. The projections in the Plan assume very quick implementation of policies such as an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector and reductions from nature based solutions.
  • As the Plan itself notes, the government will need to continuously improve and adjust over time to fill these gaps and update policies over time to deliver the necessary emissions reductions. For example, the Plan formally tasks the Net-Zero Advisory Body to provide the Minister of Environment and Climate Change with independent advice on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, the Finance Ministry will prepare annual reporting on key metrics.

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Climate institute proposes new framework for addressing fossil fuel subsidies

OTTAWA, February 9, 2022 – Government resources supporting the fossil fuel industry should be re-allocated as part of a broader economic diversification strategy responding to global market change, the Canadian Climate Institute said today. Canada has committed to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies by 2023. 

“Whereas the debate has tended to focus on what does or doesn’t constitute a subsidy, we think it’s more important to assess all government spending to ensure it’s getting us where we need to go,” said Rachel Samson, co-author of Cutting to the Chase on Fossil Fuel Subsidies and the Director of Clean Growth at the Institute. “Federal and provincial governments should analyze every program, starting with policy affecting fossil fuel production and use, to determine if it aligns with Canada’s climate objectives and to ensure that we are preparing for a world of declining oil and gas demand.”

Cutting to the Chase on Fossil Fuel Subsidies proposes four criteria to evaluate public spending: consistency with global low-carbon transition, value for money, employment outcomes, and policy fit.

“A robust framework for evaluating government spending, lending, taxes, and royalties will help ensure Canada’s economic success in the years ahead,” said Don Drummond, co-author of the report and an economist at Queen’s University, a C.D. Howe Institute Fellow-in-Residence, and an expert panelist with the Institute. “A global wave of market change is coming, and it’s crucial that fiscal policies help Canada prepare for that wave. Governments will have limited resources post-pandemic, and they will need to closely scrutinize spending—including forgone tax revenue—to ensure they’re taking the best approach to drive clean growth.”

Countries representing more than 90 per cent of global GDP have committed to reaching net zero emissions by mid-century, and over 70 per cent of Canada’s goods exports are in sectors vulnerable to transition-related market disruption. Organizations such as the International Energy Agency, BP, and Wood Mackenzie are increasingly exploring oil and gas demand scenarios that are far below previous expectations—scenarios that maintain average global temperature to 2 degrees are now seen as plausible, while previous expectations of 3-4 degrees are increasingly considered unrealistic.  

“Fossil fuel production is no longer the secure source of economic growth and jobs it once was,” says Peter Phillips, co-author of the report, Distinguished Professor and Founding Director of the Johnson-Shoyama Centre for the Study of Science and Innovation Policy, and an expert panelist with the institute. “Companies, communities, and workers will have a better chance of succeeding through transition with support for adjustment to new market realities. It’s not possible to insulate workers from long-term, structural shifts.” 

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New International Climate Council Network will support global climate policy development

The Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s independent climate policy research institute, joined with Canada’s Net-Zero Advisory Body and more than 20 leading climate advisory councils around the world to launch the first global network of national climate advisory bodies as global leaders gather at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

The newly announced International Climate Council Network (ICCN) is made up of 21 leading climate advisory bodies, including the UK Climate Change Committee, the Finnish Climate Change Panel, the Chilean Scientific Committee on Climate Change, and many others. Participant councils provide independent, expert advice to governments. The ICCN’s mission is to foster collaboration among Climate Councils and support the development of new Councils to guide and oversee delivery of climate change policy globally.

In an inaugural letter to Heads of Government, the COP President, Alok Sharma, and UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, say that the Glasgow summit must mark the start of a new phase of climate action—a decade of implementation. The ICCN’s purpose is aligned with the Canadian Climate Institute’s mandate to provide expert, evidence-led advice to inform climate policy.

QUOTES

“The newly formed ICCN provides an essential mechanism for collaboration among Climate Councils that will enable our nearly two dozen organizations to provide the best possible evidence-based advice to our respective governments. The next decade is critical in terms of getting the carbon transition right. Many countries are dealing with similar challenges, and exchanging ideas with colleagues around the world in real time will bring measurable benefits to the Canadian policy discussion. The Canadian Climate Institute looks forward to working closely with our fellow ICCN members, including Canada’s own Net-Zero Advisory Body, and we are proud to serve on the ICCN Steering Committee for the next year.”

– Rick Smith, President, the Canadian Climate Institute

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Global climate policy acceleration means sink-or-swim decade for Canada’s economy: report

OTTAWA, October 21, 2021— Canada’s economy faces a “sink-or-swim” decade, according to the first study to assess Canada’s economic prospects in the face of accelerating global market shifts responding to climate change. 

Sink or Swim: Transforming Canada’s economy for a global low-carbon future is a major new report from the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s independent climate policy research institute. The report assesses Canada’s economic prospects in response to the global low-carbon transition and offers recommendations for successfully navigating that transition.

Countries responsible for over 70 per cent of global GDP and over 70 per cent of global oil demand have committed to reaching net zero emissions by mid-century. Trillions of dollars in global investment will move away from high-carbon sectors. The impact of these global shifts will be profound, shifting trade patterns, reshaping demand, and upending businesses that are too slow to adapt.

To better understand the risks and opportunities of this transition for Canada, Sink or Swim stress tests publicly traded companies under different scenarios. Without major investment, the report finds, many exporters and multinationals will see significant profit loss in the coming decades. The stakes are high for Canada, with almost 70 per cent of goods exports and over 800,000 jobs in transition-vulnerable sectors, including oil and gas, mining, heavy industry, and auto manufacturing. 

To succeed in this global transition, the report concludes, Canada must use climate policy, company disclosure, and targeted public investment to mobilize private finance and improve the resilience of Canada’s workforce and impacted communities. 

QUOTES

“Our analysis shows that global policy and market changes will have a profound impact on Canada’s economy and workforce. To stay competitive, Canada needs to rapidly scale up new, transition-consistent sources of growth—and successfully transform existing ones. Moving too slowly is now a greater competitive risk than moving too quickly.”

—Rachel Samson, Clean Growth Research Director, Climate Institute

“The global transition means Canada must transform its economy in the face of new market realities. With smart, certain policy and innovation across the private sector, there is a path to strong economic growth, gains in well-being, and lower emissions.”

—Don Drummond, Stauffer-Dunning Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University and fellow-in-residence at the C.D. Howe Institute 

“Major Canadian investors understand the pressures our economy will be facing as a result of accelerating global market shifts, and we’re issuing a strong call for increased climate accountability and transparency in the corporate sector.” 

—Dustyn Lanz, CEO, Responsible Investment Association 

“The Aluminum Association of Canada supports a holistic view of Canada’s trajectory towards net zero emissions. A multifaceted approach with room for everyone will support a transition to a prosperous and sustainable economy.”

—Jean Simard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Aluminium Association of Canada 

“Canadian businesses and investors need clarity on which economic activities are consistent with the transition to a low-carbon future. Without that clarity, there is a risk that finance will flow in the wrong directions and miss areas of great opportunity. The analysis in this report will support the development of practical taxonomies that can be used for transition-consistent investment decisions and financial products.”

—Barbara Zvan, CEO & President, University Pension Plan and member of Canada’s former Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance. UPP is a participating organization of the Sustainable Finance Action Council

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Canada and G20 on collision course with catastrophic warming, report warns

This year’s Climate Transparency Report, the world’s most comprehensive annual assessment of G20 climate action, finds that G20 countries including Canada are not yet on track to limit warming to 1.5°C. Unless climate ambition accelerates, G20 governments’ targets would still lead to warming of 2.4°C by the end of the century. 

The report adds urgency to COP 26, the upcoming international climate summit in Glasgow, where pressure is building for developed economies to double down on more ambitious emissions targets.

Canada has made strides in recent years, according to the report, including passing into law the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. Canada’s per capita emissions dropped over four times faster than the G20 average between 2015 and 2018, yet Canada’s per capita emissions remain 2.6 times higher than that average. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to weigh down global economies, Canada leads the G20 in green recovery spending, with almost 75 per cent per cent of Canada’s recovery spending categorized as “green.” 

The use of renewables is rising across G20 countries, but coal and gas use also continue to rise. Renewables increased by 20 per cent between 2015 and 2020 and are projected to make up nearly a third of the G20’s power mix in 2021. Clean electricity already makes up 68 per cent of Canada’s power mix, with coal being phased out. Global growth in coal is mainly concentrated in China, followed by the United States and India. 


Highlights from Canada’s country profile:

  • Canada’s per capita emissions are 2.6 times higher than the G20 average.
  • Canada’s 2030 reduction pledge isn’t consistent with limiting global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
  • Canada’s electricity sector generates six times fewer emissions than the G20 average and is becoming cleaner more quickly.
  • Canada’s transport emissions are four times higher than the G20 average, though are declining more quickly. 
  • Canada’s readiness to prepare for climate impacts—its so-called adaptation readiness— is ranked high at the national level, largely due to Canadian prosperity. However, key adaptation challenges remain within specific regions and sectors.

Other highlights from Climate Transparency 2021: 

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, energy-related CO2 emissions declined by 7 per cent in 2020. However, in 2021, CO2 emissions are projected to rebound by 4 per cent across the G20, with Argentina, China, India, and Indonesia projected to exceed their 2019 emissions levels.
  • Between 2015 and 2020, the share of renewables in the G20’s power mix increased by 20 per cent, reaching 28.6 per cent of the G20’s power generation in 2020 and projected to reach 29.5 per cent in 2021.
  • From 2015 to 2020, the carbon intensity of the energy sector has decreased by 4 per cent across the G20.
  • Coal consumption is projected to rise by almost 5 per cent in 2021, with this growth concentrated in China (61 per cent), the USA (18 per cent) and India (17 per cent).

The Canadian Climate Institute is the Canadian partner organization for Climate Transparency. 

The Climate Transparency Report gathers the work of 16 research organizations and NGOs from 14 G20 members. It compares the adaptation, mitigation, and finance-related efforts of the G20, analyses recent policy developments, and identifies climate opportunities that G20 governments can seize. This is the seventh edition of the annual review of G20 climate action. 

Quote

“The G20 is on a collision course with catastrophic warming. As a key G20 member, Canada’s watershed moment has arrived: our targets are now legally binding, the technology needed to meet our 2030 target is available and affordable, and there’s a political consensus that we need to act. Now it’s time for Canada to accelerate the progress made to date and deliver.”

—Caroline Lee, Senior Research Associate, Canadian Climate Institute

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Report 

Country Profile: Canada 

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Massive investment needed to ready Canada’s infrastructure for climate change: Report

OTTAWA, September 29, 2021— A new report from the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada’s independent climate policy research institute, finds that climate change impacts could leave Canadians physically and financially under water as a warming and increasingly volatile climate damages public and private infrastructure. Homes, buildings and critical infrastructure are all at risk, unless new investment and improved regulation make these assets more resilient to the changing climate. 

Under Water: The Costs of Climate Change for Canada’s Infrastructure is the largest study to date of these kinds of impacts. It focuses on three types of climate change impacts to some of Canada’s most vital infrastructure: flooding of homes and buildings, damage to roads and rails, and impacts on Canada’s electricity grids. Findings include:

  • Flood damage to homes and buildings could increase fivefold by mid-century and tenfold by end of century, with costs as high as $13.6 billion annually.
  • Damage to roads and railways could increase by up to $5.4 billion annually by mid-century and by as much as $12.8 billion annually by end of century.
  • Costs to repair and maintain electrical infrastructure could more than double by mid-century and triple by end of century, costing up to $4.1 billion annually.

The Institute’s report concludes with specific recommendations for governments to direct public and private investment toward more resilient infrastructure—changes that will save the country billions of dollars in reduced loss and damage. 

Among the cost savings of proactive investment identified:

  • Shoreline protection and moving homes out of high-risk areas can reduce the future costs of coastal flooding by up to 90 per cent.
  • Repaving roads with resilient materials can reduce costs by over 90 per cent.
  • Using resilient materials when updating electrical infrastructure can reduce damage costs by 80 per cent.

QUOTES

“Climate change is a massive threat to the public and private infrastructure that underpins Canada’s prosperity. The challenge for governments today is to rapidly shift how infrastructure decisions are made in ways that factor in a changing climate. If these investments are planned wisely, Canada’s infrastructure can be the foundation of a resilient, low-carbon future.”

—Ryan Ness, Adaptation Research Director, Canadian Climate Institute

“As Canada wakes up to the reality of a rapidly changing climate, there’s no better or more urgently needed investment than in climate-resilient infrastructure that helps us reduce carbon emissions. Responsible management of physical climate risk in the financial sector is critical for turning risky investments into resilient ones.”

—Alyson Slater, Senior Director, Sustainable Finance, Global Risk Institute

“A consensus is emerging that climate change and its fallout will have significant impacts on economies, financial systems, and the companies that operate within them. For informed and effective decision making going forward, it is essential that all aspects of costs associated with climate change be captured. Improved disclosure of climate-related financial risks is key to incorporating long-term resiliency into our infrastructure planning.”

—Davinder Valeri, Director, Strategic Risk & Performance, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada

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Experts recommend five ways to improve design of carbon pricing across Canada

OTTAWA: June 14, 2021—The first independent expert review of carbon pricing across Canada indicates jurisdictions are making progress, but changes will be necessary to ensure federal, provincial and territorial systems are effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the long term.

The Canadian Climate Institute was commissioned by Environment and Climate Change Canada to undertake an independent expert assessment of how each jurisdiction in Canada has approached putting a price on carbon emissions. The nation-wide assessment, which fulfils a commitment under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, examined how distinct jurisdictional policy choices create varying incentives to reduce emissions and result in different impacts on people and businesses. The expert review did not assess the overall effectiveness of Canada’s patchwork of carbon pricing systems.

The Institute’s detailed technical assessment was published today by Environment and Climate Change Canada. A complementary summary report, produced and published separately by the Institute, identifies five challenges with carbon pricing in Canada, and offers recommendations for improvement. 

The assessment found that, overall, carbon pricing has introduced incentives to reduce emissions across the country. While less than 40 per cent of emissions in Canada were subject to a carbon price before 2016, 78 per cent of emissions were covered by some kind of carbon pricing policy in 2020. However, the assessment also identified the top factors undermining the effectiveness of carbon pricing in Canada today, including: 

  • Regional differences in which sources of emissions are covered by carbon pricing, and which are exempt
  • Misalignment among regions on the price applied to both consumer and industrial emissions
  • Discrepancies in how industrial emissions are treated, which significantly dilutes long-term low-carbon incentives in most jurisdictions and creates risks to domestic competitiveness
  • An overarching lack of transparency about design choices and outcomes, including how revenues are used
  • A lack of clarity about how price signals will change after 2022

The Institute’s summary report offers five recommendations to make carbon pricing more transparent, cost-effective, efficient, equitable and compatible across Canadian jurisdictions—with the goal of establishing a stronger and more consistent price signal to reduce emissions nation-wide. The expert review also underscored the need for federal, provincial and territorial governments to work with Indigenous Peoples to ensure regional perspectives and lived realities are better reflected and addressed in carbon pricing approaches.

QUOTES 

“Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have all moved fast to implement broad-based carbon pricing that can drive down emissions. It’s therefore no surprise to see some distinct regional differences in how carbon pricing systems work. These regional variations can and should be accommodated, but only if they do not undermine the end-goal – effective, efficient,  and fair emission reductions. Our assessment highlights the need for governments to work more cooperatively to ensure carbon pricing delivers on its promise.” 

— Dave Sawyer, Principal Economist, Canadian Climate Institute, and lead author of the 2020 Expert Assessment of Carbon Pricing Systems 

“Carbon pricing will be critical for achieving Canada’s climate targets and attracting the financing necessary to transition to a competitive net-zero economy—but only if it is designed well. Addressing the challenges we’ve identified through this assessment will make carbon pricing an effective backbone of Canadian governments’ collective efforts to address climate change in the decade ahead.” 

– Dale Beugin, Vice President of Research, Canadian Climate Institute 

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Climate change will drive up health costs and inequities, report finds

OTTAWA, June 2, 2021—As the world takes stock of how the COVID19 pandemic continues to impact the most vulnerable people, a new report from the Canadian Climate Institute warns that climate change will similarly worsen health inequities and significantly increase costs to Canada’s health system and economy without targeted government action.  

Published today, The Health Costs of Climate Change: How Canada Can Adapt, Prepare, and Save Lives finds that climate change represents a significant public health threat that will disproportionately harm those most vulnerable.  

Assessing a range of possible impacts under both low- and high-emissions scenarios, the report finds that the impacts of climate change could cost Canada’s healthcare system billions of dollars and reduce economic activity by tens of billions of dollars over the coming decades. Adding the value of lost quality of life and premature death, the societal costs of climate change impacts on health will amount to hundreds of billions of dollars.  

The report concludes that responding effectively to climate-related health threats will require Canadian policy makers to expand their focus beyond considering climate and health policy in isolation, and offers recommendations to support prioritizing policy and investment that addresses the social and economic root causes of poor health and health inequity. 

QUICK FACTS 

  • The average number of dangerously hot days (days above the threshold for heat-related deaths) are projected to range from 75 to 100 days each year, on average, by later this century. That’s the equivalent of between ten and 14 straight weeks of dangerously hot days each summer. 
  • As temperatures increase, ground-level ozone (a component of urban smog) is projected to worsen under all scenarios. Towards the end of the century, the report estimates that ground-level ozone could cause over a quarter of a million people per decade to be hospitalized or die prematurely, with an annual cost of about $250 billion. 
  • Climate change has already increased the frequency and severity of wildfires across the country, resulting in widespread air pollution and economic devastation in affected areas, and the impacts of wildfires on air quality and human health are expected to worsen in many regions.
  • Under the high-emissions scenario, climate change will lead to a projected loss of 128 million hours of work annually by the end of the century due to heat impacts on productivity. This is the equivalent of 62,000 full-time jobs lost, or $14.8 billion per year in lost productivity. 
  • In addition to the estimated damages, the costs of health-related climate impacts that are  difficult to measure today may far exceed those considered in this report. Climate change is likely to impact people’s mental health, lead to ecosystem changes, and negatively impact cultures and ways of life. These losses may not be on balance sheets or in  government budgets, but to overlook them risks ignoring some of the most critical  impacts of climate change on health and well-being. 

QUOTES 

“Good health doesn’t start in the doctor’s office or the emergency room. It starts in our homes, our jobs, our communities—and by proactively adapting to the effects of climate change. Investing in improving the social, economic, and environmental factors that determine our health will save lives and improve quality of life for generations to come.”  

—Ryan Ness, Adaptation Research Director, Canadian Climate Institute 

“Throughout the COVID19 pandemic, Canadians have seen the importance of robust and proactive public health measures. They have also seen that the most disadvantaged populations bear the greatest burden in a public health emergency. What is true for COVID19 is true for climate change. Climate change is a public health emergency and must be treated as such. This report underscores the importance of governments investing today in proactive initiatives to protect people’s health and well-being.”  

—Ian Culbert, Executive Director, Canadian Public Health Association 

“The scientific consensus is clear: without rapid mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the public health effects will only intensify in the years to come. Fortunately, many of the policies needed to fight climate change could also produce health benefits, reduce health care costs, and improve social cohesion and equity in our communities. This report underscores that climate change disproportionately harms the most disadvantaged populations. Policymakers must consider options that have a triple aim of reducing the impact of climate change, improving health outcomes and reducing health inequities. 

—Eric J. Mang, Co-Chair, Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century 

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The Canadian Climate Institute announces Dr. Rick Smith as new President

OTTAWA, Earth Day, April 22, 2021—The Canadian Climate Institute’s Board of Directors today announced that Dr. Rick Smith will lead the Institute as President effective June 14, 2021. 

Smith, a long-time environmental and policy thought leader, will take over from founding President, Kathy Bardswick, who is making her departure after two successful years establishing the Institute as a trusted, independent source of evidence-based climate policy research and analysis. The staff and Board wish to recognize Kathy Bardswick for demonstrating strong leadership in establishing the Institute and building a solid foundation for future growth. 

Smith brings 25 years’ experience leading non-profit organizations, having spent the past eight years building the Broadbent Institute into one of the country’s most prominent policy think tanks. He holds a PhD in biology, has published widely, including co-authoring two best-selling books on the human health impacts of pollution, and has worked across the country and around the world with a wide variety of stakeholders pursuing fact-based solutions to environmental, social and economic challenges.

QUOTES

“I’m honoured to take on this role at a time of unprecedented momentum on climate policy within Canada and around the world. The need for progress is an urgent one: the actions we take in the decade ahead will be critical in safeguarding our ecosystems, the health and well-being of people living in Canada, and our country’s future prosperity. I very much look forward to working with the Institute staff, Board, experts and broader network to advance the best research and engage all in Canada in shaping practical climate policy solutions.”
—Dr. Rick Smith, incoming President, Canadian Climate Institute

“It has been an immense pleasure contributing to the establishment of this Institute from the ground up, alongside a stellar team of staff colleagues and guided by many of the most committed, capable climate change leaders in the country. I am proud of the Institute’s contribution to informing discussions about Canada’s public policy choices, grounded in evidence-based, inclusive, non-partisan and practical policy research. I wish Rick Smith every success as he leads the Institute forward.”  
—Kathy Bardswick, founding President, Canadian Climate Institute

“Dr. Rick Smith is a seasoned and strategic leader and we enthusiastically welcome him into the Institute. Rick’s experience will be instrumental as we embark on important new work to inform and equip governments, industry leaders and other diverse stakeholders across the country with evidence-based perspectives on climate policy priorities. We also thank Kathy Bardswick for her incredible dedication and leadership in establishing the Institute, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the climate and clean growth policy space.”
—Peter Nicholson, Chair, Board of Directors, Canadian Climate Institute

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Catharine Tunnacliffe
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