Trudeau pledges Canada will cut emissions by 40-45 per cent by 2030
Posted Apr 22, 2021 6:23 am.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is beefing up its emissions reduction target for the end of the decade.
As part of the new climate commitment, Trudeau says the country will slash its 2005 greenhouse gas emission levels by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030.
“And we will continually strengthen our plan an take even more actions on our journey to net-zero by 2050,” he said at an international Earth Day summit, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, Thursday.
BREAKING: Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau is raising Canada's climate target for 2030.
The new target is to reduce emissions 40-45% below 2005 levels. #cdnpoli— Cormac Mac Sweeney (@cmaconthehill) April 22, 2021
Trudeau highlighted measures being taken to achieve that goal, including the federal carbon tax, investments in clean energy, and aiming to ban single-use plastics.
“When Canadians elected us five years ago, our emissions were projected to keep rising through 2030. But with hard work and a solid plan, Canada is now on track to blow past our old target of 30 per cent reduction below 2005 levels,” he said.
He also pointed to additional proposed investments in the latest federal budget, unveiled on Monday.
“Climate ambition and economic ambition go together,” Trudeau said. “We’re investing in public transit, clean energy, retrofitting homes, and decarbonizing industry, like steel, cement, and aluminum, to secure our clean industrial advantage.”
Live now: I’m joining @POTUS Biden and other leaders to speak about climate change – and how we can raise our ambition and tackle this crisis together, make life more affordable and our communities more liveable, and create jobs and opportunities. Tune in: https://t.co/hg6PiHBSLF
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 22, 2021
However, Canada’s new climate targets still fall short of the minimum 50- 60 per cent reduction climate groups and opposition parties said was needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C degrees.
Canada’s commitment is slightly less than the one being made by Biden, who is vowing to cut emissions in the United States in half by 2030.
The two-day global summit has brought together 40 leaders from around the world, including China, the U.K., and Russia.
