Dangerous Distractions and Canada’s “Net Zero” Emission Targets

Planet Haliburton

“Dangerous Distractions and Canada’s “Net Zero” Emission Targets” with Marc Lee This week this program looks at the “Net Zero” greenhouse gas emissions reduction pledges that have come to occupy a central place in Canada’s federal climate action plans as well as international discussions taking place under the leadership of the United Nations. While many view the widespread adoption of Net Zero emission pledges as a significant step forward, others are concerned that the Net Zero framework has the potential to reduce the political pressure to achieve real emission reductions in favour of unproven future technologies and so-called “nature-based solutions”. To helps us sort out some of the confusion around what Net Zero means as well as the pros and cons associated with its wide-spread adoption, I’m joined by Marc Lee, a senior economist with the BC Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the author of a recent Net Zero Report entitled “Dangerous Distractions: Canada’s carbon emissions and the pathway to net zero”.