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5 days ago
Where does Carney stand on Canada's 2030 climate targets? It's not clear
Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing mounting pressure to act on climate change amid another near-record-shattering wildfire season and scorching hot summer. But five months after taking Canada's top political job, it's unclear whether he will pursue his Liberal predecessor's deep emissions cuts. Carney will need to make up his mind quickly, as the country is about to face a critical test. Canada has five years to meet or come as close as possible to achieving its international climate commitments. LISTEN | Where does Carney stand on climate targets? (new window) Those legally binding targets require the country to slash carbon pollution and other planet-warming gases by at least 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. It is going to take a really heavy lift at this point, said the country's top climate adviser, Simon Donner, told CBC Radio's The House (new window) . Donner is co-chair of the independent Net Zero Advisory Body, an expert group that provides independent advice to the government on achieving net zero emissions by 2050. What is net-zero? Check out CBC's climate glossary (new window) There's a lot of things in this world that are uncertain at this time, but I think it's a safe prediction … that we will not meet that target, said Serge Dupont, a former deputy minister at Natural Resources Canada. The targets were perhaps overly ambitious to start with.… I think it's still important we make a valiant effort to go as far as we can, but we're not going to meet that target, he said. Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin was not available for an interview. But in a statement, her office said Canada is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. We strive towards our 2030 and 2035 targets, Keean Nembhard, press secretary for the minister, wrote in a statement. He said the government would provide an update on its emissions reduction plan. Targets slipping out of reach The federal government's January greenhouse gas projections show that Canada will fall short of its climate targets. As the data shows, the country is on pace to miss its interim 2026 target, reducing emissions by only 16 per cent by 2026 — short of the 20 per cent required. Moreover, modelling also shows Canada will miss its 2030 target — potentially even further than currently projected now that the carbon tax is gone. Enlarge image (new window) Source: Environment Canada Photo: CBC All we know that is happening is that we've been removing existing climate policies, Donner said. Removing the federal carbon tax and the requirement for provinces to either use it or have their own was one of Carney's first acts as prime minister. According to one analysis, the measure has been responsible for reducing carbon pollution by less than seven per cent. One group upset with the way the federal government is addressing global warming is Last Generation. The group uses civil disobedience to demand action on climate change. When CBC News caught up with the small group of activists, they were leaving their mark near downtown Ottawa on a summer evening. Members were postering across the University of Ottawa campus in defiance of at least one warning not to do so. We're hoping that this is going to get our name out there and teach people that they can fight the climate crisis directly instead of relying on politicians who have failed us time and time again, said Benjamin Welchner, one of the organizers with Last Generation. The group has taken part in more provocative non-violent civil disobedience, such as graffiti that says Oil Kills in bright pink letters, dousing a Tesla dealership in paint and climbing Montreal's Jacques-Cartier Bridge (new window) . The group, modelled on Britain's Just Stop Oil, has a specific ask: the creation of a national climate disaster agency. Gains offset by fossil fuel industry Amid the view that the world and Canada are not doing enough to reduce their carbon footprint, it's worth noting that 10 years ago, projections for global warming were far worse. In 2015, Canada's emissions were trending to exceed greenhouse gas emission levels for 2005, the baseline year from which Canada measures progress. Canada's electricity sector has led the way in decarbonization, slashing the sector's emissions by half. However, these gains have been offset by considerable increases in oil and gas production. The industry accounts for Canada's largest share of emissions and it has increased by 11 per cent since 2005. How Carney will tackle concerns that fossil fuel companies have not done their fair share remains unclear. But sitting on the table are two unfinished Trudeau-era climate policies — enhanced methane regulations and an oil and gas emissions cap. We haven't seen [the Carney government] prepared to abandon any goals right now, said Oliver Anderson, who was director of communications for former environment minister Steven Guilbeault. Anderson is now the vice president of communications and growth at the water charity AquaAction. We need to see what it is that they are going to change in order to get us to that end still. Carney has signalled an openness to listing a bitumen pipeline as part of the list of projects in the national interest that his government could fast-track. He has been supportive of renewable energy projects as well. His government's major projects legislation, C-5, enables the federal cabinet to approve what they deem to be nation-building projects before a federal environmental assessment or Indigenous consultation is complete. Asked about how a pipeline could impact Canada's emissions goals, Donner, the country's top climate adviser, suggested proponents and governments should avoid backing assets that could become stranded. WATCH | Carney ends the consumer carbon tax: The question we need to ask ourselves is who is that oil being shipped to in the year 2040, in the year 2045, when the world is shifting away from using gasoline and passenger vehicles? Donner said. Others believe we could see a shift with Carney, who, unlike Trudeau, doesn't see climate change as everything policy, according to Shannon Joseph, the chair of Energy for A Secure Future. It was [Trudeau's] economic policy, it was the foreign policy, it was the housing policy, Joseph said. People feel the pinch and so they've changed the priorities, and I think we're going to end up with a better, more measured solution. But Dupont, the former Natural Resources deputy minister, believes the government needs to recalibrate its climate target for a new reality. There's a wider set of issues at play here for Canadians, he said. Those issues, according to Dupont, who is now the head of public policy at the law firm Bennett Jones, include a softening of both economic growth and public support for green policies. The Carney government will eventually have to come clean on how and if it can meet Canada's climate targets. It's legally required to do so under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. David Thurton (new window) · CBC News · Senior reporter, Parliamentary Correspondent David Thurton is a senior reporter in CBC's Parliamentary Bureau. He covers daily politics in the nation's capital and specializes in environment and energy policy. Born in Canada but raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he's moved around more times than he can count. He's worked for CBC in several provinces and territories, including Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He can be reached at LinkedIn (new window) Twitter (new window)
05-08-2025
Young people more prone to believe in conspiracies, research shows
Hillary Clinton had Jeffrey Epstein killed. Barack Obama was not born in the United States. The pharmaceutical industry was responsible for the spread of COVID-19. These are all conspiracies with no basis in fact, says University of Ottawa professor Daniel Stockemer — but his research shows that theories like them are gaining traction among young people. In fact, people younger than 35 are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than other age groups, according to a recent study by Stockemer and co-author Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau that surveyed more than 380,000 people internationally. The research was recently published in the journal Political Psychology. Conspiracy theories are now for everyone, Stockemer told CBC Radio's All In A Day , noting that between 20 and 25 per cent of the population believes in one. But the young are slightly more likely to believe in them. For example, their research suggests a slight year-over-year drop in conspiracies to the point where an 80-year-old is about 10 per cent less likely to believe one than an 18-year-old. If the problem isn't addressed, Stockemer said he expects the democratic backsliding he's seen all over the world to continue. If we don't have a young population that stands up for the values of democracy ... who else will? Why do young adults believe conspiracies? There are many reasons why young people are particularly susceptible, Stockemer said — including the fact the political world has become more divided and chaotic. Right now, we're in a world of polarization, he said. There is no compromise, no middle ground. Compounding that effect, Stockemer said, is that young people are being alienated from politics as mainstream politicians largely ignore their concerns — including during the last federal election. The leaders didn't even come to the [University of Ottawa] to have a talk or anything, he said. And then we wonder why young people have a higher tendency to go the populist or conspiracies route. Then there's technological leaps like the internet, smart phones and social media, Stockemer said, which allow conspiracy and misinformation to spread, especially among young people. The internet also potentially exposes them to every unfortunate incident that happens in the world, said Carmen Celestini, who teaches at the University of Waterloo and studies disinformation, extremists and conspiracy theorists. That fear and that perpetual sense of disaster can lead people to believe in conspiracy theories, said Celestini, noting she wasn't surprised even a little bit by Stockemer and Bordeleau's findings. Influencers who tote extremist views and conspiracies also give their viewers someone or something to blame, she added. Enlarge image (new window) Conspiracies like the one suggesting former U.S president Barack Obama was not born in the country have been gaining traction among people under 35, according to the research recently published in the journal Political Psychology. Photo: Reuters / Mike Segar No 'quick fix' Widespread conspiracies and the problems inherent to the internet will require a global response, said Celestini, one that will involve talking about the fears and emotions that led people to these conclusions. It really is [about] having that transparent talk with your child about what it is that they're feeling, why they might believe some of these ideas and where the emotions behind it come from, she said. Stockemer said there's no quick fix, but improving civic education and better regulating misinformation online would help. To bring [young people] back, we need to also include them within the democratic politics much more than now, he said. And there could be immense consequences, he added, if we continue to neglect the susceptibility of young people to conspiracy theories. Over the past 10 years, the number of democracies has declined [and] long-standing democracies like the United States [and] India are in serious danger of falling, he said. If we continue the path we are continuing, I don't know how long some established democracies will survive. … And I think that's one of the far-reaching lessons from my research. LISTEN | Young people more likely to believe conspiracy theories, University of Ottawa research shows (new window)
11-07-2025
CUSMA-compliant goods exempt from Trump's latest tariff threat on Canada
U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat of a 35 per cent tariff on imports from Canada will not apply to goods that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), a Trump administration official told CBC News. The 35 per cent tariff, which the U.S. president posted about on TruthSocial last night (new window) , is expected to apply to goods currently tariffed at 25 per cent, the official said. U.S. tariffs on potash and energy are expected to remain at 10 per cent. However, no final decisions have been made by Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged the announcement on Thursday night, saying that the government has steadfastly defended Canadian workers and businesses. Cross Country Checkup is asking: What grade are you giving Prime Minister Mark Carney so far? Leave your comment here (new window) and we may read it or call you back for our show on Sunday. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said he'd shared the proposal with Canadian officials the day before. They called. I think it was fairly well-received, he said. He also reiterated a familiar talking point about U.S. trading partners. We've been taken advantage of for many, many years by countries both friend and foe. And frankly, the friends have been worse than the foes in many cases, he said. So I would say, just keep working, it's all going to work out. How does the CUSMA exception work? For an import to qualify for tariff-free treatment under CUSMA, it must comply with the agreement's rules of origin — a set of standards that determine how much of the good should be produced in North America. Even if the good meets the rules of origin, that doesn't make it automatically exempt from tariffs. The importer still has to produce or obtain a document that certifies the origin of the goods. WATCH | Trump calls CUSMA a 'good deal' during Carney meeting in May: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? There are general rules of origin, and rules of origin that are specific to certain products. Vegetables harvested in Canada or minerals mined in Canada are subject to a wholly obtained rule of origin. Others are considered originating if they meet product-specific rules. For example, a finished product might be classified differently under CUSMA than the materials that are used to make the product (e.g., a wooden table that is made from oak imported from outside North America.) New deadline for trade deal The threat of higher tariffs comes after several weeks of heightened volatility in the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, with Canadian officials hopeful that they could come to an agreement with their southern neighbours by July 21. Carney set that date after meeting with Trump during the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta. However, U.S. officials have floated different timelines for a deal without setting a specific date. Trump's latest threat says that a 35 per cent tariff would go into effect on Aug. 1. Carney confirmed the revised deadline on Thursday evening. WATCH | Trade deal deadline reset to Aug. 1: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? My guess is that the negotiations were not going very well, in the sense of the Americans were probably looking for Canada to put more things on the table to trade with, and were probably getting frustrated as the deadline came up, said Mark Warner, an international trade lawyer who practises in Ontario and New York. He suggests the U.S. is trying to turn up the pressure on Canadian officials, and that they must be realistic. We think we've made these hard-won gains. But this is not about principle now. This is about figuring out — how do we get this guy to move off looking at us and look at someone else? And if we don't, then we bear the consequence. Late last month, the U.S. president announced that he was calling off negotiations with Canadian officials, citing a digital services tax that was set to go into effect the following week. Within a matter of days, the federal government said that it would rescind the tax in order to advance broader trade negotiations with the U.S., and those talks resumed. Why Trump keeps raising supply management Enlarge image (new window) Pregnant dairy cows feed in the maternity barn at Armstrong Manor Dairy, in Caledon, Ont., on Jan. 27, 2025. Photo: CBC / Evan Mitsui In various social media posts, including the post from Thursday evening, the president raised his qualms what what he says is Canada's failure to stop fentanyl from pouring into our country. Fentanyl seizures have ticked up at the U.S. northern border, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but are still much lower than those at the U.S. southern border shared with Mexico. He also took issue with Canada's supply-managed dairy industry — a longtime trade irritant for the United States. Parliament recently passed a law that would take supply management off the table in trade negotiations. When CUSMA was negotiated in 2018 to replace NAFTA, Trump called the agreement — referred to as USMCA in the U.S. — a great trade deal, though he had raised Canada's supply management system as an issue then, too. The U.S. president has made several claims about Canada's supply managed dairy systems, but they are frequently inaccurate. High tariff rates on U.S. dairy apply only if exports exceed set quotas. LISTEN | Does supply management help or hurt Canada-U.S. trade talks? (new window) Kelly Ann Shaw, a former senior White House trade adviser, said she's not surprised that Trump continues to raise supply management as an issue. CUSMA contains a sunset clause which says that the three countries reconvene every six years to renegotiate parts of the agreement that may not be working the way that they were originally intended, said Shaw. So that's the complaint that you see now from the administration — we're gearing up to renegotiate this deal, so we're identifying things where we don't feel like we're being treated well. Jenna Benchetrit (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Jenna Benchetrit is the senior business writer for CBC News. She writes stories about Canadian economic and consumer issues, and has also recently covered U.S. politics. She was part of the team that won a silver Digital Publishing Award in best news coverage for covering the 2024 U.S. election. A Montrealer based in Toronto, Jenna holds a master's degree in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University. You can reach her at
