Yesterday, the Government of Nova Scotia released its progress report for the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act (EGCCRA) and associated climate plan. Although there are some positive milestones in this report, we fear that several actions that would improve the lives of Nova Scotians and safeguard our communities from the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss have been delayed or completely abandoned.
This report clearly demonstrates that the Houston government is capable of meeting the goals laid out in EGCCRA. Their work on climate change mitigation – particularly progress regarding coal phase out and the Energy Reform Act – is worth celebrating and proves that if they are willing to be decisive, real progress can be achieved.
Shared responsibility is a theme repeated throughout this report – and indeed, communities across the province are stepping up to take meaningful action. However, as is reflected in two key areas of the report, the Houston government is failing to do its part.
The first – and possibly most shocking– example of this is the abandonment of the Coastal Protection Act (CPA), legislation that would have protected our coasts from unsafe development and helped preserve coastal ecosystems that our communities rely on. The CPA, which received widespread support from the public and all three major provincial parties when it was passed in 2019, was abruptly scrapped in February of this year in favour of a non-binding educational piece aimed at coastal property owners. This complete failure of leadership is made even worse by the province’s baffling attempt to sell their mistake as a success in the report. This decision suggests both a lack of respect for the intelligence of Nova Scotians and a basic unwillingness to do their job as leaders. The CPA regulations would have been the first step in helping to make our coastal ecosystems more resilient so they can adapt and protect us, and attempting to celebrate its loss merely adds insult to injury.
The second example of this abdication of responsibility comes from the ongoing failure to adopt the 2020 National Energy Code for Buildings. This government regularly points to the very real need for affordable housing. Yet they continue to stall progress on these basic building codes that would help ensure energy efficiency for new homes, thereby lowering energy bills and improving the lives of their constituents. Every day that this legislation is delayed means more inefficient homes are being built, locking us into increasingly unaffordable housing for years to come.
There are also several areas that are concerning for their lack of ambition, and the EAC will be following them closely.
To its credit, the province has been making slow but steady progress on protected areas. However, they will need to dramatically accelerate their efforts if we are to meet our goals on this issue. We’re currently at 13.6 per cent of land and waters protected, and to get to 15 per cent by the end of 2025 and 20 per cent by 2030, we need to bring forward a new, large tranche of protected areas on crown land.
Similarly, the province has also made significant gains in getting us off home heating oil, but we could be aiming for much more than the current 20 per cent reduction target. Furthermore, there are serious bottlenecks in the service and capacity of these programs. Wait times are still long, applications are confusing and we need to be targeting low-income households and renters first.
Overall, this report makes one thing very clear: it’s time for clear honest communication about the climate crisis and real action Communities have been stepping up to fill in the gaps and we need provincial decision makers to stop stalling in the face of very real and unfolding crises. They have the support of experts, clear benchmarks for progress and – perhaps most notably – a substantial budgetary surplus for the second year in a row. The only thing stopping them from making meaningful progress is their own willingness to act. We encourage them to stop stalling, listen to the science, spend what’s needed and do the work that is required to ensure a better future for all Nova Scotians.