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Climate accountability legislation adopted by Senate

Ottawa – The Senate of Canada has adopted Bill C-12, the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, without amendment, making it Canada’s first government-initiated climate accountability law.

Climate accountability legislation is crucial to achieve Canada’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement and finally addressing the climate emergency by joining the global race to net-zero, said a news release by Rosa Galvez, independent senator for Quebec.

Here you can view the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Timeline. The bill, composed of 29 sections, was significantly strengthened by more than 30 amendments adopted by the House of Commons. Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources had undertaken a pre-study of the bill in anticipation that the bill would be received at the Senate at the 11th hour.

A comprehensive parliamentary review will give parliamentarians a chance to assess implementation efforts and identify improvements to the law five years after its coming into force.

“In the past, the Senate has rubberstamped the dismantling of environmental legislation in Canada and twice killed climate legislation adopted by a majority in the House of Commons. By adopting Bill C‑12, the Senate has finally broken with its shameful record of killing climate and environmental legislation and has given future generations their best chance with early action crucial to address the climate emergency,” said Galvez, who sponsored the bill (C-12). Galvez is an environmental engineer, a professor at Laval University, an independent senator for Quebec and president of the Parliamentary Network on Climate Change of ParlAmericas.