Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna announced November 21 that Ottawa would seek an accelerated transition away from traditional coal power to clean energy by 2030. The plan would reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than five megatonnes, in 2030.
She said the Government of Canada will support the transition by using the Canada Infrastructure Bank to finance projects such as commercially viable clean energy and modern electricity systems between provinces and territories. Canada would be expected to attract global investments and create good middle-class jobs by providing investor certainty and a clear signal to the market that Canada is a leader in clean energy.
The regulatory actions are to put Canada on a path to move from 80 percent towards 90 percent non-emitting sources by 2030. Clean electricity would power cars, businesses, and homes across the country. The government said it would work with provinces and labour organizations to ensure workers affected by the accelerated phase-out of traditional coal power are involved in a successful transition to the low-carbon economy of the future.