The document provides 5 recommendations for Canada to enhance its climate ambition and accelerate collective action in its 2020 update to its Nationally Determined Contribution commitments under the Paris Agreement. The recommendations are to: 1) align its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target with the IPCC recommendation of 45% below 2010 levels; 2) integrate a National Urban Strategy; 3) commit to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050; 4) align federal policies and funding with the new targets and strategies; and 5) step up multilevel climate action implementation. The document argues that adopting these recommendations will help Canada play its part in limiting global warming to 1.5°C as called for by the Paris Agreement.

1. 2020 Recommendations
To enhance Canada’s climate
ambition, send clear signals
+ accelerate collective action
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2. “Cities are engines of growth, innovation and prosperity.
The right investments can build sustainable and liveable
cities and communities that will help us achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the
Paris Agreement. It is possible and realistic to realize net-
zero urban emissions by 2050. But to get there, we will
need the full engagement of city governments combined
with national action and support.”
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
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3. 2020 Summary Recommendations
1. Align GHG reduction target in 2020 NDC update to IPCC
recommendation of 45% by 2030 based on 2010 levels
2. Integrate a ‘National Urban Strategy’ into 2020 NDC update
3. Commit to net-zero carbon by 2050
4. Align federal policy framework and funding with 2030 and
2050 commitments and strategies
5. Step up multilevel climate action implementation
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4. Contents of Proposal
Page 5 Page 8
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5. Paris Agreement
Reporting Requirements
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6. Paris Agreement Reporting Requirements
a) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
NDCs are intended to reflect each country’s highest possible
ambition through 2030 towards achieving the global goals of the
Paris Agreement.
• Efforts to be strengthened and NDC’s enhanced with each five-
year collective stocktake (2020 and 2025).
• All Parties also to report regularly on their emissions and on
their implementation efforts.
• Canada’s initial NDC filed in 2016 then revised in 2017 upon
adoption of the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF).
• Canada’s Paris Agreement (NDC) target mirrors the PCF;
30% reductions by 2030 (based on 2005 levels)
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7. Paris Agreement Reporting Requirements
b) Long Term Strategies (LTS)
• Parties to communicate, by 2020, mid-century, long-term
low GHG development strategies
• A growing number of governments have also adopted mid-
century net-zero targets.
• Canada submitted its Mid-Century Long-Term GHG
Development Strategy at COP22 in 2016.
• Canada’s LTS:
• does not contain a 2050 target or a set pathway.
• compiles and reports expert research and best practices
• models possible pathways for 80% reductions by 2050
• is to be a living document.
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8. Diverse Voices Calling for
Ambition, Alignment, and Action
Canada’s 2020 Update to its NDCs
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9. We have entered the Climate Decade
• Many countries’ 2030 targets are not consistent with
the achievement of net-zero carbon by mid-century.
Canada’s 2030 target is incompatible.
• Initial NDCs are to be updated in 2020
(as early as Earth Day April 22nd, as late as start of COP26 Nov 9th)
• NDCs that do not reflect an increase in ambition is a
clear violation of the relevant provisions of the
agreement (Article 4.3) which requires Parties’
successive NDC submissions to be more ambitious.
‘The wide range of action
required to achieve a 1.5°C
scenario leaves little room
for delay or failure over
the coming decade.’
- C40 Urban Consumption in
a 1.5 Degree World
https://www.c40.org/consumption
The IPCC (SR1.5) states that if the required emission reductions for 2030
are not met (45%), the ability to limit warming to 1.5˚C is compromised.
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10. Third Party Evaluation
Source: 2019 Brown-to-Green Report Canada
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11. Canada’s Federal Oversight and Evaluation
Office of the Auditor General, Environment and Sustainable Development
- Andrew Hayes, Interim Commissioner,
Environment and Sustainable Development
“The progress report stated that current and planned actions
under the PCF would enable Canada to meet or exceed its 2030
target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We found that this
statement was not supported by the projections in the progress
report or by other documentation.”
“I am concerned by the lack of coordination between various tools
intended to move sustainable development forward in Canada.
Layering disconnected strategies on more strategies is confusing for
government officials trying to make a difference and for Canadians
trying to understand the country’s progress toward meeting
sustainable development commitments.”
“In June 2019, Employment and Social Development Canada
released its interim Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National
Strategy and Environment and Climate Change Canada released its
new Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (2019 to 2022).
“The issue I see is that both approaches aim to achieve the same
objective and yet have separate strategies, which remain largely
uncoordinated and disconnected. This lack of coordination is a
persistent problem, both across and within federal organizations.”
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12. Multisector Calls for Enhancing Ambition,
Improving Alignment, Accelerating Climate Action
Cities
“Cities require massive and targeted
investment to realize their ambition to
tackle the climate challenge. Through
GCOM, cities have established targets,
and developed strategies to meet or
exceed the requirements of the Paris
Climate Agreement, but to fully achieve
this ambition, significant investment at
the local level will be required.”
- Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and
Energy (GCOM) — representing 10,000 cities
and local government around the world
Institutional Investors
“Public policy provides the signals and
incentives that direct the flow of capital
across the global economy. Policymakers
need to create policy frameworks that
support investment in low carbon assets,
enable investment in adaptation
measures, and enact a just transition for
affected workers and communities. They
also need to ensure that investors take
full account of the risks
and opportunities presented by climate
change in their decision-making.”
- The Investor Agenda
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13. The Constituency of Local and Regional Governments Calls for a
‘Multilevel Action COP26” with Roadmap to Glasgow
6 key priorities to be enabled and
supported by national governments
and other actors:
1. Raise the climate ambition of local
and regional governments
2. Ensure NDC vertical integration
and transparency
3. Localize climate finance
4. Take a balanced approach to
mitigation and adaptation
5. Link climate to circular economy
and nature
6. Amplify global climate action
A call for increased climate ambition and action by
national governments, including the full engagement
of local and regional governments in the preparation
of the second NDCs at home throughout the year on
the road to COP26 in 2020.
“The second Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs) to be presented in Glasgow have to reflect the
urgency of ambitious action to respond climate
emergency and seize the opportunities of the
transformative power of the Urban World”
“Local, regional and other subnational governments
should be actively engaged by national governments
in the preparation of the second NDCs throughout
2020.”
Source: Roadmap to Glasgow by ICLEI and Cities and Regions to UNFCCC Process13

14. The Coalition for Urban Transitions’ Priorities for National Action
to Achieve Inclusive, Zero-carbon, Resilient Cities
Source: https://urbantransitions.global/en/publication/climate-emergency-urban-opportunity/14

15. The Investor Agenda’s Global Investor Statement to
Governments on Climate Change
631 investor signatories managing over US $37T in assets under
management have called on world governments to:
1. Achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals
2. Accelerate private sector investment into the low carbon transition
3. Commit to improve climate-related financial reporting
The Investor Agenda Resources:
Full statement
Open letter from the CEOs of The Investor Agenda Founding Partners
outlining the key asks
Briefing paper which provides more details and justification/background
for the key asks in the statement
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16. Public Supports Greater Ambition and Combined Action to
Address Climate Change and Growing Inequities
Source: Climate Emergency Poll, July 2019, 2,000 residents of Canada, Abacus Data
• 82% say climate change is a
serios problem, including 47%
who describe it as an extremely
serious problem.
• 3 in 4 say they or someone close
to them have experienced the
effects of climate change in
some way.
• 8 in 10 Canadians support a shift
towards clean and renewable
energy.
• Half think it’s possible to cut
GHG emissions by 50% by 2030
and to be carbon-zero by 2050.
• 6 in 10 feel that the Federal
government is doing too little to
combat climate change.
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17. Opportunities to Enhance Ambition
Canada’s 2020 Update to its NDCs
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18. Energy efficiency and demand
side management are urban
solutions that will be important
to meeting enhanced ambition.
‘The International Energy Agency estimates
that 38% of required global reductions
associated with a 2°C pathway could be
met via energy efficiency improvements.’
- Canada’s Mid-Century Long-Term Strategy
Climate action pathways favouring energy
end-use demand reductions will deliver the
greatest synergies and fewest tradeoffs
with Sustainable Development Goals.
- IPCC SR 1.5 Summary for Policymakers
Cities are Central to Addressing the Climate Crisis and
Achieving Sustainable Development Goals
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19. Urban Consumption in a 1.5 Degree World – C40 Cities
Source: https://www.c40.org/consumption
This C40 study included participation from Cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
“Emissions from consumption
in high-income cities must decrease by
two thirds within the next decade.”
• Cities drive the global economy, and urban
decisions have an impact on GHG generation
beyond city boundaries.
• 60% of C40 cities’ consumption-based emissions
occur outside the cities, but within their respective
countries.
• Urban action on consumption can significantly
reduce emissions from key consumption categories
(e.g. buildings, transportation, food, textiles,
electronics).
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20. Detailed List of Opportunities to Enhance 2020 NDCs
DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS TO IDENTIFY OPTIONS FOR NDC ENHANCEMENT
Improving Paris alignment
• Does the NDC as a whole, and its treatment of each sector individually, lead to a
trajectory that aligns with the benchmarks for achieving Paris Agreement temperature
goals?
Reflecting new developments, innovation and best practices
• Does the treatment of the sector in the initial NDC reflect up-to-date assumptions
regarding available technologies and their costs?
• Does the NDC as a whole, and its treatment of each sector individually, reflect the
relevant plans, policies and measures that are being implemented and considered at the
national level or that ought to be considered based on available best practices?
• Does the NDC as a whole, and its treatment of each sector individually, reflect the
relevant climate action commitments being made by nonstate and subnational actors in
the country?
Maximizing the benefits
• Does the NDC as a whole, and its treatment of each sector individually, maximize
synergies and reduce potential conflicts with development objectives, including with the
Sustainable Development Goals and with climate resilience? How can the NDC best
achieve those objectives?
Filling the gaps
• Does the NDC address all relevant sectors, subsectors and gases?
Addressing finance and implementation issues
• Could the NDC better reflect finance needs for NDC implementation and/or policy
actions to align finance flows with climate goals?
• Does the NDC address important cross-sectoral interactions?
• Could the NDC otherwise facilitate strengthened implementation?
Source: Enhancing NDCs 2020, UNDP, WRI
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21. Five Recommendations
To enhance ambition, send clear signals, and accelerate collective action
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22. 2020 Recommendations
1. Align GHG reduction target in 2020 NDC update to IPCC
recommendation of 45% by 2030 based on 2010 levels
2. Integrate a ‘National Urban Strategy’ into 2020 NDC update
3. Commit to net-zero carbon by 2050
4. Align federal policy framework and funding with 2030 and
2050 commitments and strategies
5. Step up multilevel climate action implementation
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23. 1. Align GHG reduction target in 2020 NDC update to IPCC
recommendation of 45% by 2030 based on 2010 levels
• Submit updated NDCs, at the earliest possible date in 2020, and
representing the highest possible level of ambition to 2030, but no
less than 45% below 2010 levels.
• Current 2030 target is insufficient:
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24. 2. Integrate a ‘National Urban Strategy’ into 2020 NDC
Current interventions reflected in the PCF are insufficient to meet 30% (or 45%)
GHG reductions by 2030. We propose the Government work with Canada’s
large and leading cities to build a bottom-up cities strategy for 2020 and embed
this urban strategy into the 2020 NDC to enhance its ambition.
Benefits:
• Additional measures can be identified, strategies can be aligned, and
implementation can be more collaborative and effective.
• Integration will provide assurances, clarity, and transparency to the pubic and
private sector which will unleash financial flows and transform markets.
• Localizing climate action and the SDGs enables equity-centred strategies and
implementation, and the central tenet to ‘leave no one behind’.
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25. 3. Commit to net-zero carbon by 2050
Set a mid-century target of net zero carbon emissions, enshrine this
target in legislation.
The government will “set a target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” an “ambitious
but necessary” goal for both economic growth and environmental protection. “Canada’s
children and grandchildren will judge this generation by its action — or inaction — on the
defining challenge of the time: climate change.”
- December 2019 Throne Speech, Governor General Payette said
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26. 4. Align federal policy framework and funding with 2030
and 2050 commitments and strategies
• Integrate and align NDC and LTS targets and strategies with updates
to the policy framework contained within the PCF, Federal Sustainable
Development Strategy (FSDS) and SDG strategies.
• Resource impact-driven strategies in partnership with cities and
according to these integrated plans which embed the National Urban
Strategy.
• Send clear signals to investment community with these integrated
plans, federal funding, regulations and risk disclosure requirements
(TCFD), etc.
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27. 5. Step-up multilevel climate action implementation
Through enhanced support for capacity
building and capital investment in
cities, accelerate and increase climate
action commensurate with 45%
reductions by 2030 based on 2010
levels, and net zero carbon by 2050.
Source: the Coalition for Urban Transition’s Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunity
“Multilevel and collaborative climate action
should be the new normal in every community
and in every country in the era of the Paris
Agreement. This is why the Constituency is
calling on COP26 to be the ‘Multilevel Action
COP’. More ambitious climate action can only be
achieved through collaboration with and support
of local and regional governments.”
- Gino Van Begin, Sec. General of ICLEI
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28. Timing and Approach
To federal government advancement of these 2020 Recommendations
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29. Strategic Opportunity
1. We are entering ‘The Climate Decade’, we must remove barriers to action at scale if we are to
transform systems.
This is the decade by which we must accelerate action and achieve significant (45-50%) greenhouse gas
reductions if we are to be on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to limit global warming to 1.5
degrees by midcentury. NDCs are updated only every 5 years (2020 and 2025); we must have multilevel
integration and alignment of planned actions throughout the entire Climate Decade if we are to enhance
ambition, be mutually reinforcing, and achieve implementation at scale.
2. There is momentum and support for spending
As a new minority Liberal government and 43rd session of parliament begins with the refreshed Cabinet and
Throne Speech focusing heavily on national climate action, existing funding programs will continue, and the
focus will be on rapid implementation and replication of successful projects across the country, along with
more comprehensive moves on climate action.
3. There is unparalleled, multi-party support and ambition for climate action
A minority Liberal government requires the support of another party(ies) to advance their initiatives, and
climate action is believed to be an area where the government will find support with the NDP, Green Party and
Bloc Quebecois, provided they’re ambitious enough. Summaries of December 13, 2019 mandate letters to
Cabinet ministers are available upon request. 29

30. Strategic Opportunity, cont’d.
4. Many federal/provincial government relationships are strained necessitating direct support and
collaboration with cities.
The relationship between the Liberal government and the provincial governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Ontario and New Brunswick are strained particularly on climate and environmental topics (i.e. carbon tax and
pipelines), so the federal government may find it more effective and efficient to work directly with cities,
particularly in these provinces.
5. Urban advocacy for climate action support is needed and justified.
FCM, in coordination with its Big City Mayors’ Caucus (BCMC), used the federal election as a springboard for
action — a centralized voice for municipal governments across the country — with climate action being a priority
policy area for FCM, but stronger urban advocacy is required, particularly on behalf of Canada’s largest cities and
economic centres where there is the largest opportunity for GHG reductions and risk mitigation.
6. The public appetite for immediate, bold climate action and tangible solutions by all levels of
government is strong, with support now among the highest levels in Canadian history.
A national opinion survey of 2,000 people conducted by Abacus Data in July 2019, shows that “the public is
ahead of our politics”, says Seth Klein, Adjunct Professor at SFU Urban Studies and former BC director of the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “A large share of Canadians is already deeply worried about the climate
crisis, and they are increasingly ready for bold and ambitious actions.”
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31. CUSP’s Proposed Intergovernmental Relations Strategy
• Partner with FCM, national environmental non-governmental
organizations (ENGOs), and institutional investors, etc. to advocate to
federal government on these 2020 recommendations
• In coordination with FCM and other partners:
• organize Ottawa delegations including meetings with key senior
staff and Ministers, NDC policy working group
• Identify earned media opportunities (i.e. Op-Eds, events etc.) to
share CUSP key messages
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32. Proposed Next Steps for CUSP Staff and Members
1. CUSP to reach out to key national partners to coordinate meetings
with federal officials.
2. Municipal sustainability staff to coordinate briefings with their IGR
staff and Mayors’ offices; embed 2020 recommendations and key
messages into all materials.
3. Each member city to identify federal outreach opportunities from
now through September.
• FCM/Big City Mayors’ Caucus/BCAT/Minister Meetings, Federal Budget
etc.
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