7.8 Canadian Climate Policies Dialogue
Reality Check: The State of Climate Progress in Canada
On March 5–6, 2012, the NRT, in conjunction with the Queen’s Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, held the Canadian Climate Policies Dialogue Session in Kingston, Ontario to present preliminary research, to receive feedback in response, and to engage participants in discussions on what this means to meeting Canada’s 2020 target, with ideas and solutions for moving forward. The NRT chose to partner with the Queen’s Institute because of its impeccable knowledge and credentials in working with governments, as well as academics and public policy experts, to host events and foster considered dialogue.
This invitation-only session was designed to offer a safe space for open discussion by governments. All provincial and territorial governments, the federal government, and noted climate and intergovernmental relations policy experts, including former senior officials, were invited to give their perspectives (see the Participants List in this Appendix). This process allowed for our work to be well grounded in national, provincial, and regional realities, and it benefitted from top expert input and advice.
The dialogue session began with a reception and dinner on March 5th, with former Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada and Deputy Minister of Environment Canada, speaker Mel Cappe addressing the audience with a speech entitled “Federal/Provincial Relations and Climate Change: Change the Climate”. On March 6th there were three facilitated roundtable discussions that focused on specific research topic areas allowing for a more detailed discussion on the subject matter. Topic areas included: NRT modelling analysis on Canadian emission reductions to 2020; climate policy experiences by provincial/territorial governments; and prospects and ideas for future climate policy approaches and steps.
Overall, the session confirmed some key conclusions:
- We have made progress as a country to achieve emissions reductions but not enough based on existing and likely measures to close the gap.
- There is diversity in approaches by governments between federal and provincial governments and between provincial governments themselves. This is to be expected and has value. But it has also complicated efforts at a more pan-Canadian approach and created some duplication, overlap, and economic inefficiencies in the way climate actions have been implemented. Policy certainty from the federal government was strongly desired.
- Concerns exist about federal sectoral and regulatory approaches within some provinces; while the current federal approach has been accepted as inevitable, it meant national carbon pricing a more desirable approach for many provinces and experts, was not being considered.
- There has been emerging co-operation between levels of government on climate change policy action – namely, reviewing baseline numbers and having a single window approach for businesses to report to both levels of government.
- No effective mechanisms or processes for F/P/T collaboration exist to engage in policy development or dialogue to consider different approaches.
- Targets versus time frames came out as an important difference in detail. While all had targets and needed to move toward them, the time frames to do so was not always aligned. This disconnect was noted several times.
- All provincial representatives asserted a pretty clear determination to keep going with their climate plans. Links between climate policy and a transition to a low-carbon economy were noted by some.
Participants
Barbara Anderson
Retired ADM
Social Policy
Finance Canada
Chris Bataille
Senior Managing Partner
Navius Research Inc.
Jonah Bernstein
Senior Policy Advisor, Climate Change
Government of Nova Scotia
Dale Beugin
Principal
SkyCurve Consulting
Douglas Brown
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
St. Francis Xavier University
Mel Cappe
Professor
School of Public Policy and Governance
University of Toronto
Jean Cinq-Mars
Assistant Auditor General
Sustainable Development Commissioner
Auditor General of Québec
Gerald Crane
Director of Research and Analysis
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Dianne Cunningham
NRT Member
NRT
Neil Cunningham
Director, Climate Change and Environmental Protection
Government of Manitoba
Marc DeBlois (observer)
Géographe
Bureau des changements climatiques
Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs
Stephen de Boer
Director General, Climate Change International
Environment Canada
Rachel Faulkner
Administrative Assistant
NRT
Michael Goeres
Executive Director
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
Kim Graybiel
Director, Climate Change Secretariat
Government of Saskatchewan
Beth Hardy
Research Associate
NRT
Kathryn Harrison
Professor
University of British Columbia
Christopher Hilkene
NRT Member
NRT
Derek Hermanutz
Associate Director General
Economic Analysis Directorate
Environment Canada
Jackie Janes
ADM/Senior Policy Advisor
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
André Juneau
Director
Queen’s University
Michael Keenan
Assistant Deputy Minister
Strategic Policy Branch
Environment Canada
Erick Lachapelle
Professeur adjoint
Université de Montréal
Andrew Leach
Assistant Professor
University of Alberta
Nick Macaluso
Director, Analysis & Modelling
Environment Canada
Doug Macdonald
Professor
University of Toronto
Cairine MacDonald
Deputy Minister of Environment
Government of British Columbia
James Mack
Head, Climate Action Secretariat
Government of British Columbia
David McLaughlin
President and CEO
NRT
Noel Melton
Partner
Navius Research Inc.
Gord Miller
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
ECO Office
Robert Mills
NRT Member
NRT
Katherine Monahan
Policy Analyst, Analysis and Modelling
Environment Canada
Mark Parent
NRT Member
NRT
Heather Pearson
Acting Director, Air Policy Instruments and Program Design Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Barry G. Rabe
Professor Public Policy, Environmental Policy School of Natural Resources & Environment
University of Michigan
Adam Redish
Director, Air Policy and Climate Change Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
Nic Rivers
Consultant
University of Ottawa
David Runnalls
Acting Executive Director, Sustainable Prosperity
Distinguished Fellow
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Guy Saint-Jacques
Ambassador for Climate Change and Chief Negotiator
Environment Canada
Bob Savage
Section Head, Regulatory & Mitigation Policy
Alberta Department of Environment
Government of Alberta
Eric Schroff
Director, Climate Change Secretariat
Government of Yukon
Julie St-Amour
Members Services Liaison
NRT
Scott Vaughan
Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Randall Wigle
Professor
Wilfred Laurier University
[oo] Queen’s University, Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, has prepared a summary report of this event (containing no attribution) and is available upon request.