Two key members of the Net-Zero Advisory Body, a federal government entity, have stepped down, citing lack of attention from Ottawa as it shifts focus towards new oil and gas ventures, departing from previous climate commitments. Simon Donner, a climate scientist from the University of British Columbia, and climate activist Catherine Abreu resigned this week, reducing the advisory body’s membership to four individuals.
Donner, in a LinkedIn post, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to influence climate policy in Canada but noted challenges within the advisory body’s structure and governance. He highlighted concerns over the government’s changing priorities, leading to his discomfort with the neglected and performative nature of the decision-making process.
In a separate statement, Abreu criticized the government’s recent agreement with Alberta to endorse a new oil pipeline and its legislation supporting expedited environmental approvals for projects involving LNG, fossil fuels, and mining. She raised alarms over the potential reversal of progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to the government’s actions, which she believes undermine climate policies without providing viable alternatives.
Abreu emphasized that the advisory body’s expert counsel was disregarded in recent policy decisions, breaching the obligations outlined in Canada’s Net-Zero Accountability Act. The act, which established the advisory body, mandates the government to establish and uphold emission reduction targets, a commitment that recent assessments indicate Canada may fail to meet its 2030 objectives.
The core mission of the net-zero advisory body is to outline strategies for Canada to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Canada is expected to unveil an updated emissions reduction strategy by the year’s end.