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Faster electric car uptake will help Canada hit climate targets; carbon tax, coal phase-out not enough

Click to play video: 'Minister McKenna provides update on Canada’s climate change plan'
Minister McKenna provides update on Canada’s climate change plan
Minister of the Environment Catherine McKenna introduced three updates to Canada's climate plan on Thursday that includes new regulations for vehicle emissions standards, pricing for heavy corporate polluters, and clean energy incentives for small businesses, not-for-profits, and indigenous communities – Dec 20, 2018

Canada is still 79 million tonnes of greenhouse gases shy of hitting its existing promise to cut emissions.

That’s even with a national carbon tax, phasing out coal power, forcing the use of cleaner fuels and making buildings more efficient.

READ MORE: Nearly 200 nations agree on framework for Paris Climate Agreement

But Environment and Climate Change Canada officials believe faster adoption of things like electric cars and better public transit will get Canada all the way to the goal by the 2030 deadline set in the recent Paris climate agreement.

WATCH BELOW: McKenna calls Ontario’s cancelled climate change programs ‘a setback’ for Canada

Click to play video: 'McKenna calls Ontario’s cancelled climate change programs ‘a setback’ for Canada'
McKenna calls Ontario’s cancelled climate change programs ‘a setback’ for Canada

Canada is promising to cut current emissions nearly 200 million tonnes a year by 2030 but recent reports suggest it has to do almost twice that to do its part in curbing global warming.

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Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says Canada will increase its goals by 2020, as is required under the Paris agreement.

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Environment officials are also updating the carbon-pricing system for big industry today, giving more leeway to producers of petrochemicals, lime and cement because of competitive pressures they face internationally.

The environment ministry is not yet saying exactly how much revenue it expects will be raised from big emitters but promises it will be returned to be used to cut emissions by the industries that pay it.

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