Bill C-12: The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act Explained
Author
Meagan Parmassar
Hello! My name is Meagan (she/her) living on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewaki peoples. I acknowledge that this land is covered by Treaty 19, also known as the Ajetance Purchase (named for the Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit), signed in 1818. I would like to acknowledge my positionality as a cis-gendered, Indo-Caribbean immigrant woman. My intention is not to speak on behalf of communities of which I am not a part of, particularly Black and Indigenous communities, rather to bring awareness to environmental injustices and other social disparities that disproportionately affect marginalized communities through my writing. My goal is to use this opportunity to help these communities and the cause in the best way that I know how, which is through education, raising awareness and challenging the system of ideas and beliefs that led to these problems in hopes of influencing a political and social shift. As a second generation immigrant, I realize that my views and interpretations of certain topics may be different than those of members of the Indigenous or Black communities. Today, I will be sharing my research and interpretations of white supremacy in Canadian politics, while understanding and recognizing the difference my positionality may make in my understanding of it.
The federal government has announced Bill C-12: the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The purpose of this bill is to reiterate their commitment to meeting the net-zero emissions goal for 2050. It provides a legally-binding process for the federal government to set national targets and bring forward climate action plans every 5 years on a rolling basis from 2030 to 2050.
- Climate action plans presented by the federal government be independently reviewed by the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development in order to provide third-party critique of climate action plans to Canadians
- A report to be tabled in parliament detailing reasons and corrective actions to be taken for targets that are not met
- A report to be published annually by the federal government detailing how departments and Crown Corporations are considering financial risks and opportunities of climate change in all of their decision-making
The planning and reporting required under this act is intended to ensure that accountability is taken by the federal government moving forward for their plans to meet the 2050 net-zero emissions goal, provide transparency for Canadians with regards to these plans and their implications, and ensure better decision-making in terms of climate action moving forward. This bill is at its first reading in the House of Commons as of November 19.
