The Government of Canada has announced it is taking action to cut pollution from all sectors of the economy.
This includes the transportation sector, which accounts for a reported one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions.
Canadian Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra along with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson announced that the Government of Canada is setting a mandatory target for all new light-duty cars and passenger trucks sales to be zero-emission by 2035.
It accelerates Canada’s previous goal of 100 per cent sales by 2040.
To ensure Canada gets to this goal, and to provide certainty about the pathway to get there, the Government of Canada will pursue a combination of investments and regulations to help Canadians and industry transition to achieve the 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.
It will work also with partners to develop interim 2025 and 2030 targets, and additional mandatory measures that may be needed beyond Canada’s light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions regulations.
The announcement is coupled with existing measures to support increased zero-emission vehicle adoption – from incentives that help with the upfront costs of zero-emission vehicles, to investments in zero-emission charging infrastructure, to partnerships with auto manufacturers which are helping them re-tool and produce zero-emission vehicles in Canada.
Taken together, the Canadian Government claims it is setting the country on a clear path towards a new 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales goal and a prosperous net-zero emissions economy by 2050.
The Government of Canada also remains committed to aligning with the most ambitious light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emission regulations in the United States.
Supporting a strong and unified North American automotive sector to transition towards zero-emission vehicles contributes to Canada’s climate change goals, and positions Canadian and American workers alike to benefit economically from this global shift.
“Only bold climate policies lead to bold results. Through measures aimed at accelerating the transition to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicles sales, we will continue building a cleaner and more resilient economy, while also creating good jobs and opportunities for all Canadians. We will also continue to support the automotive sector, including through our investment of $8 billion to accelerate the industrial transition thanks to the Net Zero Accelerator,” said Alghabra,