Canada’s Net Zero Path: A Lesson for Africa
There has never been a time like
this was when the world witnessed
such scale of natural disasters
such as wildfires, hurricanes,
earthquakes, landslides, heat
waves, and floods that are currently
happening repeatedly around the
world.
Extreme weather conditions
experienced globally are enough
to convince naysayers that climate
change is not a ruse. The world
has an emergency to tackle and it
must be confronted at both global
and national levels. Even though
all nations are not challenged on
the same scale and intensity, no
part of the world is insulated from
the climate scourge.
Industrialized nations by their
actions and inactions in the past
decades brought the world to the
present apocalyptic situation.
Therefore they should assume
greater responsibility in tackling
this debacle, many in the
developing world had argued.
The developing world (which is
impoverished and responsible
for lesser carbon emissions) has
to be protected from climate
change disasters through every
conceivable remedial and
compensatory measures.
Canada’s Footprints
Canada requires $2 trillion to
deploy new technologies and
meet net-zero targets. It is the 4th
largest producer and exporter
of oil, 5th producer and 6th
exporter of natural gas. The
sector producers 26% of the
country’s emissions. With 96% of
its proven oil reserves located in
oil sands, the sector is the largest
spender on clean technologies in
the country-75% of the national
spending.
Canada is the 11th greenhouse
(GHS) emitting country in the
region and 10th highest per
capital (according to 2020 data).
Emission index per sector are
as follows: oil and gas (26%),
transport (25%), building (12%),
heavy industry (11%), agriculture
(10%), electricity (8%), waste and
others (7%).
Andrew Maharaj, Senior Trade
Commissioner at the High
Commission of Canada in Ghana,
shared his thoughts on Energy
Transition in Canada and how it
is racing against time to reach the
2050 zero emission target. He
spoke at the 2nd Offshore Africa
Energy Conference in Accra.
He said in order to achieve net
zero objectives, the government
of Canada had invested more
than $120 billion since 2016. It
established $8-billion Strategic
Innovation Net Zero Accelerator:
key anchor investments that
would help decarbonize Canada’s
largest emitting industrial sectors
and support the development of
a world-class electric vehicle and
battery ecosystems in Canada.
In addition, Canada committed
$3 billion in 2022 to implement
its first Critical Mineral Strategy.
The Canada Growth Fund
in 2022, $15 billion public
investment vehicle to attract
private capital in clean energy;
Clean Fuels Fund: $1.5 billion
to grow the production of
clean fuels in Canada, such as
hydrogen, renewable diesel and
natural gas, cellulosic ethanol,
synthetic fuels and sustainable
aviation fuel; 2023 Canada
Innovation Corporation; mandate
to increase Canadian business
expenditure on research and
development across all sectors
and regions of the country;
Canada Infrastructure Bank:
$20 billion in support of major
clean electricity and clean growth
projects; and tax credits for
clean technology manufacturing,
clean electricity investment,
clean hydrogen and CCUS were all
designed to achieve net zero by
2050, he said.
The government introduced
carbon pricing scheme in 2019.
As at April 2023, it cost CAD $65
per tonne of CO2 emitted and it
will be increased to CAD $170 per
tonne in 2030.
Canada aims to operate a clean
grid by 2035, with nearly 100%
of electricity to be produced from
non-emitting sources. Its policy
on zero-emission vehicles has
seen a $2.9 billion investment in
charging infrastructure, financial
support for purchasing zero-emission vehicles: while the
target is to reach 100 per cent
of zero-emission cars by 2035,
interim targets 20 per cent by
2026, 60 per cent by 2030 and
35 per cent of total medium and
heavy-duty vehicles sales ZEVs
by 2030.
How Has Canada fared?
From 2005 to 2021, Canada’s
GHG emissions decreased by
8.4%; per capita (1990 to 2021):
GHGs per capita decreased by
17%; per unit of GDP (1990-
2021): 42% less GHGs were
emitted to produce one billion
dollars’ worth of goods and
services, he revealed.
In line with the Paris Agreement
Targets, in 2022 Canada unveiled
its 2030 Emissions Reduction
Plan (under Canadian NetZero Emissions Accountability
Act), which aims to reduce C02
emissions by 40-45% below 2005
levels by 2030 and commit to
develop a plan to achieve net zero
emissions by 2050.
The 2050 net zero target is
quite ambitious but achievable.
Today, Canada generates 83%
of its electricity from non-emitting sources. Wind and solar
photovoltaic energy are the fastest-growing sources of electricity
generation in the country. Only
a tenth of electricity is generated
from coal. It is the world’s 2nd
the largest producer of uranium and
6th largest producer of nuclear
power and top 10 hydrogen
producer in the world. Added to
the above, the North American
nation is endowed with critical
minerals, the world’s No. 6 in
lithium reserves; world No. 7 in
cobalt reserves and world No. 7 in
nickel reserves.
There are some challenges
to net zero, he said. “The
country’s remote and northern
communities still rely on diesel
generators for electricity.
Production from oil sands is
highly emissions-intensive; long
distances and car dependency
in the transport sector, cold and hot
weather creates high demand
for heating and cooling. Lifestyle
issues due to high meat and
dairy consumption large houses
and consumerism linked to high
incomes.”
Nonetheless, Canada’s dogged
commitment is worthy of
emulation, and African nations
could learn a thing or two about
that.