Barriers and Drivers of Near-term Climate Change Mitigation: A Canadian Case Study

Abstract

This work investigates, through semi-structured interviews, the prospect for rapid transitions towards sustainable civil infrastructure. Rapid greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation is critical to facilitate near-term (i.e., within five years) reductions needed to limit global temperature rise to 2°C. Moreover, ongoing delays in climate action in many countries and sectors mean that rapid interventions will be needed in the coming decades as the need to mitigate becomes more urgent. This work examines, among twenty decisionmakers involved in developing, operating, or using Canadian infrastructure: (1) ongoing and expected near-term GHG mitigation actions (2) barriers constraining faster change, and (3) mitigation goals and expectations of the near future. Interview participants prioritize enabling deep change in a more distant future over executing rapid change and view government policy certainty as crucial to near-term action. This work identifies deficits in action on the near-term scale and aids decisionmakers by describing planned mitigation actions and barriers.