Prof. Kathryn Harrison says latest emissions data signals Canada’s government still has its work cut out for it
Prof. Harrison said the report shows that the federal carbon tax and regulations to change Canada’s electricity sources and limit methane emissions have had a meaningful impact. But those reductions have been “undone” by growth in other areas.
Dr. Kathryn Harrison: The political opportunities and challenges of Canada’s new $9.1B climate plan
Prof. Kathryn Harrison evaluates the promises and challenges of Canada’s new 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan writing, “It’s hard to fathom Canada reducing its emissions by 40 per cent to 45 per cent in just eight years unless the necessary regulations are finalized in the next one to three years without being watered down.”
Prof. Kathryn Harrison discusses how Canadian pipelines won’t solve Europe’s energy insecurity
Professor Kathryn Harrison said moving to renewable energy is “arguably quicker to deploy than building new terminals or new pipelines.” According to her, the idea that Canadian oil and gas can rescue Europe from its dependence on Russia is not as feasible as Kenney and many Conservative MPs would have us believe.
Adoption of effective climate policies has proved politically challenging: Prof. Kathryn Harrison writes
Professor Kathryn Harrison writes on how Canadians have been slow to trust climate policies like carbon pricing, vehicle mandates, and clean energy regulations will work. Her modest proposal: “Let’s stop asking the optimism question and instead focus on what we, as citizens, are going to do about climate change.”
Prof. Kathryn Harrison comments on the changes to the Conservative party’s climate change solutions
“[The Conservatives] are adopting policies that speak on behalf of their core voters, about a third of Canadians who oppose carbon pricing,” said Dr Kathryn Harrison. According to her, conservatives’ aversion is really about the carbon price: “It’s about protecting the status quo and the fossil fuel industry.”
Prof. Kathryn Harrison: The climate crisis demands courage not optimism
“Climate change is here, and it’s going to get worse. But how much worse is up to us. It’s time to move past seeking reassurance from others, to instead ask ourselves what we, as citizens, are going to do about it,” Prof. Kathryn Harrison writes in The Conversation.
Prof. Kathryn Harrison explains how we need international collaboration on both fossil fuel consumption and production
Each country is held responsible for greenhouse gas emissions according to the Paris Agreement. “Because 75 per cent of emissions result from burning fossil fuels, an obvious solution is to adopt policies like carbon taxes and zero-emission vehicle mandates that constrain fossil fuel consumption,” said Dr. Kathryn Harrison
Prof. Kathryn Harrison spoke about thermal coal exports in Canada via CBC News
Metallurgical (or coking) coal is used in steel production. However, there are not many cleaner and affordable alternatives available for steel production. “That’s why most national and global modelling exercises looking at climate action [and] carbon constraints find that thermal coal is the first to go: It’s emissions intensive and there are cheaper alternatives,” said Dr. Kathryn Harrison.
Prof. Kathryn Harrison talks to CBC on how to identify substance in climate change policy discussions
“Net zero is an increasingly prevalent concept that can hide all manner of sins,” Prof. Kathryn Harrison said. “Some countries are committing to net zero in the distant future but not backing it up with more near-term reduction commitments, which are needed for that to be credible.”
Prof. Kathryn Harrison discussed what she will be watching for at COP26
Dr. Kathryn Harrison comments on how poor countries suffer as rich countries miss climate targets. She will be writing opinion pieces from the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.