What Does a Net-Zero Future Look Like

In 2021, the government of Canada committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 a bold and ambitious goal. How realistic of a goal is this and what will it take to reach a net-zero Canada. In this blog I will be covering what net-zero means and the actions that must be taken to reach that point.

Net-zero emissions refers to the balance of the greenhouse gases emitted by a country, and more specifically, that the emissions the country releases are offset by other actions, such as tree planting or carbon capture. This goal is possible, but it will be very difficult and require significant and sustained effort. Currently Canada is only 8.5% below our 2005 level of emissions and the target for 2030 is 30% below. Over the past 5 years, progress has been very slow, with a drop in green house emissions during COVID and then an uptick during recovery, we are trending in the right direction again now but not currently on track to meet this goal.

To get to net zero, limiting the emissions from the largest polluting sectors must happen first, this includes but is not limited to:

1)      A complete shift from gas-powered vehicles to electric.

2)      At least 70% of electricity coming from renewable sources.

3)      The 30% that doesn’t come from renewable sources has carbon capture technology.

4)      Heat pumps becoming much more prevalent.

5)      Increased energy efficiency with regards to industry.

Negative emission solutions such as direct air capture could also potentially be utilized in the future, but they are not feasible with the current technology.

A combination of safe bets utilizing the current technology, and innovative breakthroughs will be needed to reach the goal of net zero by 2050. This is possible, but continuous effort must be applied or we will fall behind. You can help the country reach the goal of net zero by considering our Made in Canada Anorra wind turbines here.