People take part in a climate protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The Canadian Press
Canada faced sharp criticism Tuesday at the UN climate conference in Brazil after activists named the country “fossil of the day.” The award, handed out by Climate Action Network International since 1999, highlights countries seen as blocking or weakening climate progress.
This marks Canada’s first time receiving the title in more than ten years. The group accused Canada of “flushing years of climate action down the drain.”
The timing added to the pressure on Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said Monday that Canada remains committed to the Paris Agreement and plans to meet its targets. It was the government’s clearest climate statement in months.
His comments pushed Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to support the federal budget.
Concerns Over Climate Commitments
Canada’s climate goals include cutting emissions to at least 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050. These commitments sit in law through legislation passed in 2021.
But critics say the government has not shown the leadership needed to meet the 2030 target. Carney and his cabinet often stressed the long-term 2050 goal while avoiding firm support for the near-term target, raising concerns among climate advocates.
The federal budget promised stronger industrial carbon pricing rules and final methane regulations. But it also left room to change an earlier plan that required oil and gas companies to cut emissions 35 per cent below 2019 levels by 2030. That shift worried climate groups who saw it as a retreat from earlier commitments.
Climate Advocates Sound the Alarm
Caroline Brouillette, head of Climate Action Network Canada, said the award reflects global frustration with Canada’s slower pace.
“It’s sad to see Canada embarrassed on the international stage like this,” she said. “But even more heartbreaking has been seeing the hard-won and substantial climate progress that we achieved over the past 10 years be torn away piece by piece.”
She urged Carney to recognize the world’s reaction. “The world sees this government’s backtracking on climate, and silence at this crucial moment, and it’s not OK.”
Federal Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault, once a co-chair for the group that hands out the “fossil” awards, avoided questions about the situation when entering the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Opposition Reaction
Opposition MPs responded quickly. Bloc Québécois MP Patrick Bonin said the government earned the title.
“After a string of environmental rollbacks, and increasing and extending subsidies to the oil and gas industry until 2040, it’s really the only award the Liberals could have hoped to win,” he said.
The criticism adds another layer of tension to Canada’s position at global climate talks, where the world’s largest emitters face calls to strengthen their goals as temperatures continue to rise.
