Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal minority government in a first-ever report on yearly climate targets predicts all federal offices will use “100% clean electricity” this year.
Researchers did not explain how they would keep lights on in thousands of federal offices from Iqaluit to Halifax where power grids run on diesel, coal or natural gas, per Blacklock’s Reporter.
“Notable commitments for federal organizations include use of 100% clean electricity by 2025,” said the report on federal climate-related risk management, signed by Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
The document issued by the Department of Finance is the first of its kind, “recognizing that climate change can affect the financial position or performance of the government,” it said.
“This report represents the first step towards increased transparency of climate related financial risk management efforts.:
The 2025 target for clean electricity went unexplained.
Nationwide an average 18.5% of Canada’s electricity is produced by coal or natural gas, according to the Department of Natural Resources. However rates are much higher in provinces and territories without access to hydroelectricity.
Nunavut runs diesel generators for 100% of its electricity. “Many rural and remote communities are not connected to the grid and instead rely on locally generated electricity generally from diesel fuel,” said a December 5 electricity report by the Department of Natural Resources.
Northwest Territories rely on diesel and natural gas for 25% of electricity. The rate is 12% in Yukon.
Among provinces, Alberta relies on coal or natural gas for 82% of its electricity followed by Saskatchewan, 81%, Nova Scotia, 63%, New Brunswick, 24% and Ontario, 8%.
The risk management report did not specify where federal departments and agencies would obtain “100% clean electricity” in any of the seven provinces or territories.
“This is the first annual report under the Canadian Net Zero Emission Accountability Act,” wrote the finance department.
“It aims to promote transparency and accountability by providing greater insight into actions the federal public administration is taking to manage its financial risks and opportunities arising from climate change.”
Parliament in 2021 passed Bill C-12 An Act Respecting Transparency And Accountability In Canada’s Efforts To Achieve Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions. It mandated annual climate targets. The Green Party opposed the bill as ineffectual.
“I cannot vote for this,” Green MP Elizabeth May said at the time.
“I have literally been working on this issue since 1986. I have seen the targets put in place and each time I can recite chapter and verse what particular event knocked us off course.”
Members of the Senate Energy Committee at 2021 hearings challenged future environment ministers to resign if promised targets were not met.
“People are asking, what’s the penalty?” asked Sen. Paul Massicotte, then-chair of the committee.
“Three or four times in the last 30 years we did not achieve our goals and we were simply told – and it seems to work obviously – Canadians were basically told, ‘Sorry, we’ll do it better next time’ and next time and next time and next time,” said Massicotte.
“There is not enough demonstration of commitment.”
“I would suggest to you in private enterprise if we delegated such immense responsibility to one person, we would expect that person to offer his resignation if he doesn’t meet it in a material sense.”