Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are among the highest in the OECD on a per capita basis. Emissions are almost 20% above the 1990 level, and have fallen back only slightly since 2000. Meeting the 2030 emissions reduction target will require a major shift in policy. Recognising this, Canada developed the first-ever overarching plan to meet the target in a co-ordinated approach among federal, provincial and territorial levels. This chapter discusses Canada’s climate policy and some of the challenges involved in its climate targets. It focuses particularly on electricity generation and transport.

This chapter examines urban wastewater management policies in Canada over the last decade. It discusses recent developments that have strengthened the policy framework. These include the Canada-wide Strategy for the Management of Municipal Wastewater Effluent and the first national regulation for wastewater treatment. The chapter highlights some of the most salient challenges that still need to be tackled, including the detrimental situation of Indigenous peoples, the lack of a sustainable financing strategy and the need to swiftly adapt to a changing climate and precipitation patterns. It suggests areas for improvement in the use of pricing instruments and of incentives to explore innovative approaches to manage waste- and rainwater, among others.