Energy, climate and economic security, and Canada’s road from oil exporter to deep decarbonization

As of late 2014, international political consensus was shifting to acceptance that deep emission reductions were necessary to avoid dangerous climate change, exemplified by a 2015 G7 communiqué where all members committed to limiting the anthropogenic increase in global mean surface temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius (°C) by 2050 relative to 19th century global temperatures, and full decarbonization by 2100. ¹ According to IPCC, to ensure a better than even chance of remaining below a 2°C average surface temperature rise global annual green-house gas (GHG) emissions will need to be reduced by 42–57% by 2050 relative to 2010, and 73–107% by 2100 in order to stay within a global carbon budget of 960–1,430 GtCO₂e. ² Achieving this target requires steep declines to near zero carbon intensity in all sectors.