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.