The United Nations (UN) reports that in order to limit the global temperature increase to no more than 1.5°C, emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. The Group of 20 (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union) are responsible for approximately 76% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In contrast, least developed countries account for approximately 3.8% of global emissions, while small island developing states contribute less than 1%. Under current national climate plans (known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs), the UN has determined that emissions are expected to rise 9% above 2010 levels by 2030, even if NDCs are fully implemented; and GHG emissions would fall to 2% below 2019 levels by 2030. Given the need to rapidly reduce emissions, there is increasing pressure on countries and industries to transition away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels to more sustainable sources of renewable energy. While the focus has traditionally been on solutions such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power generation, other tools including nuclear power, energy storage and hydrogen are increasingly seen as important tools in achieving Canada’s GHG emission reduction targets. In particular, hydrogen has emerged as an industry darling not only in Canada, but in many other jurisdictions around the world. The release of hydrogen strategies at both the federal and provincial levels are designed to position Canada as a leading producer, user and exporter of hydrogen and related technologies. This session will provide an update on hydrogen strategies across Canada and discuss the regulatory hurdles and legal issues (such as land issues and permitting) relating to the development of a robust infrastructure to facilitate hydrogen production, storage and distribution. The session will also consider potential opportunities to advance hydrogen projects in Canada.
