It takes a lot to make Simon Donner lose his cool. The co-chair of the feds’ advisory group on climate policy has a daily practice of swimming in the Pacific and braves the frigid water all winter long. But he couldn’t bear the blather about “decarbonized oil” spilling from the first ministers’ meeting this week.
In 2021, the heat dome over British Columbia killed 619 people, marking the deadliest climate disaster in Canadian history. As the province baked—temperatures surpassed 35°C—many workers in restaurants, farms, and other high-exposure jobs still had to clock in. Four years later, workers are still pushing for legal protections from extreme heat.
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) has been lambasted by industry watchdog Shift Action for dropping its 2022 commitment to invest in line with the country’s net-zero action targets.
Ahead of next week’s Speech from the Throne, four national climate groups mounted a 95-metre fabric installation in Ottawa’s Major’s Hill Park on Wednesday, urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to “pick a path” between new oil and gas pipelines and climate action.
If Prime Minister Mark Carney intends to transition the country’s economy off fossil fuels to respond to the climate crisis, he will have to navigate complex political terrain and avoid the pitfalls of his predecessor, experts say.