2016 Review: Canadian action on climate change accelerates over the past year

Release date: 2017-01-09

Canadian governments at the federal and provincial levels made numerous announcements related to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change since late 2015. This domestic policy action was also related to international developments such as adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015.

InternationalFederalProvincialTimeline of Major Climate Announcements - November 2015 to December 2016(hover over points for information)Nov 2015Dec 2015Jan 2016Feb 2016Mar 2016Apr 2016May 2016Jun 2016Jul 2016Aug 2016Sep 2016Oct 2016Nov 2016Dec 2016Jan 2017

Source: NEB, various sources (links located in interactive image)

Description: This interactive figure provides a timeline of the major climate-related developments relevant to Canada between November 2015 and December 2016. Each point on the timeline is accompanied by a description of the development and a link to additional information. The timeline includes developments at the international level, such as the signing of the Paris Agreement, and those at the federal and provincial levels, such as announcement of the Federal Carbon Pricing Plan and the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan.

Download PDF summary table of Canadian climate policies announced in 2016 [PDF 792 KB]

Many of the announcements from 2016 will be implemented in subsequent years. For example, Alberta's carbon levy on end-use emissions and Ontario's cap-and-trade system will come into effect at the start of 2017. Many programs and policies described in broader provincial action plans, such as the Quebec 2030 Energy Policy or British Columbia's Climate Action Plan, will likely be implemented over the course of several years.

Date modified: 2017-01-07