OTTAWA — Environment and Climate Change Canada officials struggled Monday to explain how recent federal policy shifts have affected national emissions reduction targets.
A group of assistant deputy ministers appeared before the House of Commons standing committee on environment and sustainable development this morning to brief MPs.
Bloc Québécois MP Patrick Bonin asked them repeatedly about the impact on Canada’s 2030 emission targets from the repeal of the consumer carbon price and the decision to pause implementation of the electric vehicle mandate for 2026.
Department officials initially cited other measures in place and repeated Prime Minister Mark Carney’s talking points, but eventually shared some data when pressed further.
Megan Nichols, one of five officials answering questions, said scrapping the consumer carbon price would add three megatonnes of emissions in 2030, while the impact of suspending the EV mandate for 2026 had not yet been calculated.
The questions came after federal ministers refused in recent weeks to commit to Canada’s 2030 emission reduction targets, and after the release of a Canadian Climate Institute report that suggested Canada’s 2030 target is now out of reach.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.
Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
