Power of Policy to Achieve COP26 Targets

Tamika Gokhool

What is COP 26?

The United Nations Climate Change summit (COP26) took place in Glasgow, Scotland, during the first two weeks of November. This was the most important summit to take place since the Paris Agreement in 2015. In 2015, countries agreed to an ambitious framework to combat climate change, including pursuing measures to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C.  Countries came together in Glasgow to guarantee that the world is doing what it takes to fulfil the Paris Agreement's promise by improving their targets and laying out additional initiatives to increase efforts over the next decade.

This summit revealed that the world is still off track to reduce the effects of climate change and require urgent action. Ministers from across the globe agreed that nations should submit higher 2030 emissions reduction goals next year in order to close the gap and keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees F). Ministers also agreed that rich nations should provide greater resources immediately to assist climate-vulnerable countries in adapting to the harmful and expensive repercussions of climate change that they are currently experiencing, such as decreased agricultural yields and destructive storms.

Countries also made bold collective commitments at COP26 to reduce methane emissions, stop and reverse forest loss, align the finance sector to net-zero by 2050, abandon the internal combustion engine, accelerate coal phase-out, and end international financing for fossil fuels, to name a few. 

Canada has been on track to meet its emissions target that were outlined in their plan from 2020. Prime minister Justin Trudeau strengthened their commitment by enhancing their target of reducing emissions by 40% to 45% from 2005 levels by 2030. Not only that, Canada has committed to achieve net zero by 2050 and has doubled its international climate finance for developing countries. Canada's ambitious goals are great initiatives and are hopeful for our future, however how can we meet these targets? 

There are a variety of different solutions that should be put into place, but policy change is the key driving factor to creating systemic change. Introducing new policies can enable Canada to reduce their emissions and achieve net zero by 2050. Here we’ll explore some different policies that our governments can introduce to start creating real change. 

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Extended producer responsibility (EPR), means that producers are responsible for their products waste once their consumers are done with it. It would promote producers to prevent waste at the very source, design environmentally friendly products and support public recycling and waste management goals. In the case of plastics, this would encourage producers to reuse the plastic they produce in manufacturing instead of throwing it in a landfill at the end of its lifecycle. By enforcing EPR, this can reduce growth in plastic production and consumption significantly and can change our current system to function as a circular economy. Transitioning to a circular economy would not only reduce emissions but can also steer us to becoming a net zero country. 

In 1991, Germany implemented an EPR system that required producers to pay a license fee based on the amount and type of packaging that was introduced into the market every year. Between 1991-1998, this policy alone resulted in an estimated waste reduction of 1 million tonnes. 

Products Standards

Products standards can be introduced that would require a minimum percentage of recycled content in plastic products. Every product should meet a percentage that can be reusable, recoverable, recycled or compostable.  This would go hand in hand with EPR and would cause companies to design waste out of the system at the very source. 

Not only should producers meet a minimum percentage of recycled content in their products, standard labeling requirements should be incorporated to educate the public on the environmental impacts of their products and how to efficiently dispose of it. As much as the plastic waste problem comes from large companies, the consumer plays a large role in properly disposing of their waste. 

Taxes and Economic Incentives

Governments can impose taxes to the consumer on single-use plastics to reduce the production of these plastics and promote the use of alternative means. For example, at the grocery store charging a fee for the use of a single use plastic bag and promoting reusable bags. Taxes can also be imposed to businesses who continue to produce single use plastics. 

Globally, this kind of incentive is already being implemented and has seen success. For example, in 2015 Portugal included a tax on producers of $0.12 per certain size of plastic bag and in as little as four months the consumption of these bags decreased by 74%. 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the world's plastic problem. The provinces and territories of Canada are mostly (but not completely) responsible for waste policy. In addition, through partnering with the provinces and territories, the federal government may play a critical role in improving the efficiency of provincial waste management strategies. To make more progress toward a circular economy, the federal government, the provinces and territories must work together to define standards, targets, and procedures.

To be most effective, legislators must evaluate and embrace a variety of complementary initiatives, such as extended producer responsibility, prohibitions and limits, economic instrument labelling standards etc. Other activities are needed as well such as consumer education campaigns, public procurement requirements, waste management infrastructure investment, and public-private partnerships, are also necessary to support these approaches.

With these kind of policies in place, Canada will be one step closer to reaching its ambitious targets that were outlined in COP26 and hopefully will set a good example for other countries to do the same and meet their targets. The only way we can reduce the dangers of climate change will be for everyone to work together to fight this mess we have created.