OTTAWA — The Green Party of Canada is gravely concerned by the findings of Canada’s 2024 Climate Report Card, which confirm that Canada is not on track to meet its legally binding 2030 emissions reduction target of 40–45% below 2005 levels.

“Canada made a legally binding commitment to cut emissions by almost half by 2030. Today’s findings from the Canadian Climate Institute (CCI) show we are failing to deliver,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada. “That failure is not just a political disappointment. It is a legal breach and a moral betrayal of future generations.”

When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992, all reductions were to be measured against 1990 levels. In 1990, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions were 589 megatonnes. By 2005—Canada’s chosen baseline year for its Paris targets—emissions had risen to 759 megatonnes. According to the Canadian Climate Institute’s 2024 report, emissions now stand at 694 megatonnes. That means Canada is still well above 1990 levels, even as many European countries have cut their emissions more than 50% below 1990.

The Green Party is calling on the federal government to immediately reinforce its climate plan to ensure Canada meets its 2030 target. Falling short will undermine Canada’s credibility, worsen climate impacts already devastating communities, and increase the costs of inaction.

The Green Party is urging the government to:

  • Accelerate emissions reductions now by ending fossil fuel subsidies, and scaling up renewable energy.
  • Legislate enforceable implementation plans with clear, sector-by-sector pathways to 2030, backed by accountability mechanisms and penalties for missed milestones.
  • Ensure a just transition by respecting Indigenous rights and guaranteeing that vulnerable communities share equitably in the benefits of the energy transition.
  • Invest in resilience by strengthening disaster preparedness, infrastructure, and public health systems to protect Canadians from escalating climate impacts.

The Green Party is also deeply concerned by the Carney government’s failure, so far, to introduce new climate legislation to replace the critical measures it has repealed. Weakening existing climate measures reconfirms Canada’s record as a climate villain. As one of the world’s major polluters, we know every fraction of a degree we avoid in global temperature rise will save millions of lives—here and around the world. We are out of time for compromise and appeasement.

“Canada has missed every climate target it has ever set. We cannot afford to miss 2030,” said May. “The government must act with the urgency science demands and the law requires. Canadians deserve nothing less.”

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For media inquiries or to arrange an interview: media@greenparty.ca