With a Growing Emissions Gap, Environment and Climate Change Canada Did Not Report on How Canada Will Meet Its 2030 Target

Ottawa, October 29, 2026— A report prepared by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development on behalf of the Auditor General of Canada concludes that federal organizations did not make progress in effectively implementing selected measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The audit found that Canada is moving further away from meeting its 2030 emissions reduction target, with several planned measures intended to reduce emissions having been cancelled or weakened.

Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% to 45% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, the government’s latest projections indicate a reduction of 28%, down from the 36% projected in 2023. These projections do not yet fully account for the impact of recent decisions to cancel or weaken several emissions reduction measures.

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The audit also found that Environment and Climate Change Canada did not report on how the federal government would meet its 2030 target. Although the department improved its reporting on emissions reduction measures, it did not identify specific additional actions that could help Canada meet its commitment.

The audit examined 2 federal procurement measures led by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and found that these measures did not achieve the intended emissions reductions. For example, a program to purchase low-carbon fuel for federal air and marine fleets encountered supply challenges and is being eliminated 4 years early.

Despite these shortcomings, the audit found improvements in federal procurement tools and greenhouse gas emissions reporting. Federal organizations implemented 7 of 9 recommendations from previous audits, with work on the remaining 2 underway.

The 2026 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Implementing the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act—2026 Report, is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

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