Restructuring Canada's Energy System for a Sustainable, Energy Secure Future

Canada, like many other countries, is experiencing the effects of global heating. In the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, increasing summer temperatures are occurring and contributing to sea-ice decline and ice-albedo feedback. On the Pacific coast, extreme weather leading to droughts and wildfires severely damaged communities and resulted in an increase in heat-related deaths. In the western provinces, farming, forestry, and river temperatures are being affected by climate events. In 2023, drought and lightning consumed an estimated 18.5 million hectares of forest in western, northern, and eastern Canada. On the east coast, damage from extratropical storm (Hurricane) Fiona cost the region an estimated $800 million, destroying homes and businesses, and left hundreds of thousands without electricity for days. Not only is Canada susceptible to the effects of the climate crisis, but it also contributes to the crisis. In 2021, Canada emitted 670 megatonnes of https://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> CO 2 e https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href=" https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781003476351/e12ba3d0-e547-4d3f-9fd5-195d2b8ef932/content/ieq0020.tif "/> . Although Canada’s share of global emissions was only 1.56%, it was the world’s 11th largest emitter of greenhouse gases from energy sources in 2022. This is due, in large part, to Canada being a major exporter of crude oil and natural gas. In 2020, it ranked ninth in terms of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from all sources. This chapter examines the actions Canada is taking and the technical, economic, political, and social challenges it is facing to achieve a sustainable and energy secure energy future by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to between 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030 in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.