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| Distractions |
“Net zero” may sound like a good target to address the climate emergency, but I fear it’s becoming a dangerous distraction from the real work we should be focused on—actual emissions reductions.
My new report Dangerous Distractions: Canada’s carbon emissions and the pathway to net zero delves into the mechanics behind net zero and how industry and governments are playing a numbers game to talk big on climate but too often carry on with business as usual. This approach cannot be embraced if we’re actually going to reduce our emissions.
Perhaps the biggest eye opener in the research is the creative accounting Canada is practicing with our forests. While we know trees are a carbon sink, the wildfires that have been increasingly more severe because of climate change have made our forests a net emitter of greenhouse gases. Well-managed, thriving forests are certainly an important part of a healthy planet, but planting trees alone will not solve the climate crisis. My colleague Ben has recently written about that issue in greater detail.
Canadians deserve more than talking points; what we need is a plan of action from every level of government to wind down fossil fuel production and provide a just transition for the affected workers and communities. My hope is that this new research will help broaden the understanding of what it will take to get there.
Marc Lee is a senior economist at the CCPA-BC Office.
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