More than 250 Canadian mayors and councillors have joined forces in a new push to fast-track infrastructure projects that prioritize the fight against climate change, as the country’s federal government faces mounting scrutiny over its evolving environmental commitments. The coalition, calling itself Elbows Up for Climate, is urging Ottawa to shift its focus toward projects that both shield the economy from international trade headwinds and accelerate Canada’s transition away from fossil fuels.
“We can no longer think about the economy without also thinking about climate change,” said Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal and co-chair of the coalition, in an interview with The Canadian Press. The group’s appeal, which has drawn support from over 250 elected officials across the country, comes at a pivotal moment for Canada’s climate policy. With a U.S. trade war looming and global environmental targets under review, the coalition argues that the stakes for both the environment and the economy have never been higher.
The coalition’s primary concern centers on the federal government’s recent list of so-called “nation-building projects.” Unveiled earlier this month by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the list includes the proposed expansion of LNG Canada in Kitimat, British Columbia—a project that would double the facility’s liquefied natural gas production. For many in Elbows Up for Climate, the inclusion of fossil fuel expansion projects sends the wrong signal at a time when the country should be doubling down on clean energy investments.
“Canadians need projects that can protect the economy from the U.S. trade war but also that can help Canada transition away from fossil fuels,” Plante emphasized. The coalition is pushing for a different set of priorities—ones that align with Canada’s climate commitments and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The timing of the coalition’s campaign is no accident. On September 22, 2025, federal officials revealed during a House environment committee meeting that the government plans to unveil revamped emissions reduction targets before December. These targets, first set under the Justin Trudeau government, include a pledge to reduce emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, and to increase that reduction to 45 to 50 percent by 2035.
But the path to meeting those goals is anything but straightforward. Since Carney’s rise to power, ministers such as Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin have avoided making definitive statements about whether Ottawa will stick to these targets or adjust them—a point that has reportedly caused divisions within the Liberal caucus. Dabrusin has promised an “update” on the government’s 2030 and 2035 plans, pledging to consider the evolving global and economic context.
Alison McDermott, assistant deputy minister of the department’s strategy policy branch, told the committee, “We are just now revising our projections with the most recent information. The work is ongoing and we hope that we’ll have the new projections before the update, which is due in December.” Her comments came in response to Bloc MP Patrick Bonin, who accused the government of “moving backwards” on climate change. Bonin, a former Greenpeace Canada activist now serving as a rookie MP, pressed officials for details on how Canada intends to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement and its own Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, passed in 2021.
According to data published in December 2024, the country was on track to reduce emissions by 34 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 with the measures then in place—a figure projected to rise to 40 percent by 2035. These numbers, while encouraging to some, fall short of the government’s original targets, fueling skepticism about Canada’s ability to deliver on its promises. Critics within and outside Parliament have questioned whether the government will lower its targets, and whether such a move would be permissible under the Paris Agreement.
“In the agreement, there is nothing about allowing nations to reduce their targets,” McDermott noted, emphasizing that international regulations were designed to encourage ambition, not retreat. The issue is expected to take center stage at COP30 in Brazil this November, just days after Ottawa is set to release its budget. There, Canada’s contributions to the Paris Agreement will be scrutinized alongside global efforts to mark the accord’s 10th anniversary.
Meanwhile, the political debate at home is heating up. Conservative MP Branden Leslie challenged officials on the morale within the environment department, citing what he described as a suite of “deeply unpopular” policies that he believes are deterring private investment. Leslie pointed to the recent repeal of the consumer carbon tax and the uncertain fate of an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector as evidence of wavering political resolve. “After years of implementing these policies and now just to see them repealed by yet the same Liberal government, how is morale like at the department?” Leslie asked pointedly.
McDermott acknowledged that her team is “challenged by some of these developments” in a “tight” fiscal environment but maintained that the department’s work remains crucial, especially “in a world where we have an administration in the U.S. that is not particularly committing to fighting climate change.”
For his part, Prime Minister Carney has sought to downplay concerns about government cost-cutting, insisting that Canada retains the “fiscal capacity to act decisively at a moment when governments need to act decisively.” In a speech to the Council of Foreign Relations in New York City on September 24, Carney touted Canada’s potential, stating, “Canada has what the world wants,” and highlighting his administration’s push to develop critical minerals and build large-scale infrastructure projects.
Carney also announced that the government plans to roll out more priority projects under Bill C-5 roughly every four months over the next couple of years. This steady pipeline of infrastructure investments is intended to boost both economic resilience and Canada’s green credentials, though critics argue that the inclusion of fossil fuel projects undermines the country’s climate leadership.
The debate over Canada’s climate future is set to intensify in the coming weeks. On October 30, regional premiers and mayors will gather in Toronto for annual talks with Dabrusin and Energy Minister Tim Hodgson—a meeting that is expected to shape the next phase of the country’s environmental strategy. As the government prepares to reveal its updated targets and as COP30 looms on the horizon, all eyes are on Ottawa’s next moves.
With mayors, councillors, and federal officials now publicly staking out their positions, the question remains: Can Canada reconcile its economic ambitions with its climate commitments, or will political divisions and shifting priorities send the country off course? For now, the answer is as uncertain as the climate itself.