The Canadian Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act

By: Carolina Rodriguez

The Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act – Explainer

by Carolina Rodriguez

The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act was first introduced to Parliament in 2020 as Bill C-12 and later adopted in June 2021. The Act is Canada’s foundational climate law. It sets national targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to achieve net-zero by 2050. It legally binds the federal government to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The core of the Act revolves around transparency, accountability, and science-based planning and sets 4 milestone years to stay on track ahead of 2050: milestones are established for each of 2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045 for GHG reductions to fall below the level of 2005 by certain percentages, starting with “40-45% below 2005 by 2030”. Which leaves us just 42 months to get there.

The Act is not the first of its kind; it follows the United Kingdom’s Climate Change Act (2008) and Sweden’s Climate Policy Framework (2017), New Zealand’s Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (2019), and Fiji’s Climate Change Act (2019). All are legally binding pieces of legislation with a net-zero by 2050 goal. Sweden, Hungary, France, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Denmark adopted similar legislation between 2020 and 2021.

It is the present government’s failure to observe this act which has led EcoJustice to commence a lawsuit on behalf of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Environmental Defence (ED) and three individual youth plaintiffs.

This is not unique; New Zealand was pushed by a youth-led public campaign to adopt its 2019 Act and uphold climate legislation. In Germany, the Neubauer et al. v. Germany case (2021) brought forth by youth and young adult plaintiffs (amongst others) resulted in a court decision that its existing climate law was insufficient and violated the rights of future generations, which forced the government to improve the legislation that same year.

It’s important to note that the Canadian Government is mandated to maintain a panel of experts to assess progress and provide input: the Net Zero Advisory Board. In 2025, it had 11 members. 6 have resigned, several indicating the Government was finding ways around consulting them by calling what was put forward to address the law’s requirements a “strategy” instead of a “plan” and not seeking their input. Two former members, Cat D’Abreu (Clean50 2018) and Simon Donner, have openly and bluntly expressed their disdain for the Government’s backtracking on climate legislation. Of the five who remain on the board, at least one is openly supportive of carbon capture, “decarbonized” oil and other fossil-fuel-supported approaches designed to slow Canada’s transition. Click here for the current list.

Ultimately, as EcoJustice’s case moves forward, it may be the courts, not Parliament, that finally hold the country to the promises it already made to itself.

The legislation’s key requirements in the Canadian Net Zero Emissions Accountability Act require that the Government of Canada do the following:

1. Milestone Emissions Targets

  • 2050 Goal: Achieve net-zero emissions by the year 2050.
  • Interim Milestones: The Minister of Environment and Climate Change must set national emissions targets for milestone years every five years starting in 2030.
  • 2030 Target: codified in the Act, committing Canada to reducing emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels.
  • Progression: Each subsequent target must be more ambitious than the last.

2. Emissions Reduction Plans

  • Plan Creation: The Minister must establish and publish an emissions reduction plan for each milestone target.
  • Key Measures: These plans must detail the exact measures the government intends to take to meet the target and must be published at least five years before the milestone year.
  • Considerations: Plans must incorporate climate science, Indigenous rights, and advice from the advisory body.

3. Progress and Assessment Reporting

  • Mandatory Reporting: The government must publish regular progress reports evaluating whether it is on track to meet its milestone targets.
  • 2030 Assessment: A comprehensive assessment of the 2030 target mandated to assess scientific and technological progress and determine if the 2030 target needs adjustment.
  • Tabled in Parliament: All plans and progress reports must be formally tabled in both the House of Commons and the Senate.

4. Independent Oversight and Risk Management