Canada must speed up progress to hit its 2030 emissions target: report – National [Video]

Oil and gas production hikes and rebounding air travel put a drag on Canada’s climate progress last year, but a new report says the country was still able to make a modest cut to its planet-warming emissions.

New estimates published by a leading climate policy institute show Canada cut emissions by about one per cent last year compared to 2022, or eight per cent since 2005.

But the Canadian Climate Institute says the country will need to speed up that progress if it hopes to hit its 2030 target to cut emissions by 40 to 45 per cent compared to 2005 levels.

The report says the electricity sector remains a standout, cutting emissions by 6.2 per cent year-over-year, or 38 per cent since 2005, boosted by policies such as industrial carbon pricing and coal phaseouts.

The oil and gas sector continued to hold back Canada’s progress, increasing its emissions by …