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Climate concern is on the rise in many countries and recent research finds that lifestyle- and behaviour-change could advance climate action; yet, individuals struggle to move their climate concern into action. This is known as the 'awareness-action inconsistency,' 'psychological climate paradox,' or 'values-action gap.' While this gap has been extensively studied, climate action implementation and policy-design seldom sufficiently apply that body of knowledge in practice. This Perspective presents a comprehensive heuristic to account for how individuals bring climate change into their awareness (climate action-logics), how they keep climate change out of their awareness (climate shadow), how social narratives contribute to shaping choices (climate discourses), and how systems and structures influence and constrain agency (climate-action systems). The heuristic is illustrated with an example of 15-Minute Cities in Canada. Understanding the multifaceted dilemma that weighs on people's sense-making and behaviours may help policy-makers and practitioners to ameliorate the climate awareness-action gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate modeling of snow depth (SD) processes is critical for understanding global energy balance changes, affecting climate change mitigation strategies. This study evaluates the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) model performance in simulating daily SD across Canada. We assess CMIP6 outputs against observed data, focusing on daily SD averages, snow cover durations, and rates of accumulation and depletion, alongside annual SD peaks for 11 major Canadian catchments. Our findings reveal that CMIP6 simulations generally overestimate daily SD by 57.7% and extend snow cover duration by 30.5 days on average. While three models (CESM2, UKESM1‐0‐LL and MIROC6) notably align with observed annual SD peaks, simulation biases suggest the need for enhanced model parameterization to accurately capture snow physics, particularly in regions with permanent snow cover and complex terrains. This analysis underscores the necessity of refining CMIP6 simulations and incorporating detailed geographical data for better SD predictions. Plain Language Summary: Precise simulations of snow depth (SD) are crucial for understanding changes in the Earth's energy balance and helping efforts to combat climate change. In this research, we evaluate how well the latest phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) can simulate the daily SD across Canada. By comparing these simulations to various SD data sets, we looked at average daily SD, how long snow remains on the ground, and how quickly it accumulates or melts away, focusing on 11 major catchments in Canada. Our study found that the CMIP6 models tend to simulate more SD, by about 57.7% on average, and suggest that snow cover remains around 30.5 days longer than observed durations. Although three specific models excel in matching the annual peak of daily SD, we noticed biases that point to a need for improving how these models represent various land covers. Our findings highlight the importance of making these models more accurate by using more detailed information about land cover properties, which helps better predict SD and understand its role in climate change. Key Points: Coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations mostly overestimate the average daily SD values by a median of 57.7% (6.9 cm)The average snow cover duration is overestimated by 30.5 days compared to station data, confirmed by the CMC data setCMIP6 simulations relatively capture extremes well, with a median bias of 12.73% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification and mapping of surficial seabed sediment organic carbon have wide-scale relevance for marine ecology, geology and environmental resource management, with carbon densities and accumulation rates being a major indicator of geological history, ecological function and ecosystem service provisioning, including the potential to contribute to nature-based climate change mitigation. While global analyses can appear to provide a definitive understanding of the spatial distribution of sediment carbon, regional maps may be constructed at finer resolutions and can utilise targeted data syntheses and refined spatial data products and therefore have the potential to improve these estimates. Here, we report a national systematic review of data on organic carbon content in seabed sediments across Canada and combine this with a synthesis and unification of the best available data on sediment composition, seafloor morphology, hydrology, chemistry and geographic settings within a machine learning mapping framework. Predictive quantitative maps of mud content, dry bulk density, organic carbon content and organic carbon density were produced along with cell-specific estimates of their uncertainty at 200 m resolution across 4 489 235 km 2 of the Canadian continental margin (92.6 % of the seafloor area above 2500 m) (10.5683/SP3/ICHVVA, Epstein et al., 2024). Fine-scale variation in carbon stocks was identified across the Canadian continental margin, particularly in the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean regions. Overall, we estimate the standing stock of organic carbon in the top 30 cm of surficial seabed sediments across the Canadian shelf and slope to be 10.9 Gt (7.0–16.0 Gt). Increased empirical sediment data collection and higher precision in spatial environmental data layers could significantly reduce uncertainty and increase accuracy in these products over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term experimental studies provided evidence that plant diversity increases ecosystem resilience and resistance to drought events, suggesting diversity to serve as a nature-based solution to address climate change. However, it remains unclear whether the effects of diversity are momentary or still hold over the long term in natural forests to ensure that the sustainability of carbon sinks. By analyzing 57 years of inventory data from dryland forests in Canada, we show that productivity of dryland forests decreased at an average rate of 1.3% per decade, in concert with the temporally increasing temperature and decreasing water availability. Increasing functional trait diversity from its minimum (monocultures) to maximum value increased productivity by 13%. Our results demonstrate the potential role of tree functional trait diversity in alleviating climate change impacts on dryland forests. While recognizing that nature-based climate mitigation (e.g., planting trees) can only be partial solutions, their long-term (decadal) efficacy can be improved by enhancing functional trait diversity across the forest community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are important sources of anthropogenic methane emissions. Municipal governments can play a role in reducing those emissions to support climate change mitigation, but they need information on the emission rate to contextualize mitigation actions and track progress. Herein, we examine the application of satellite data from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to estimate city-level methane emission rates in a case study of the City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Due to low and variable annual observational coverage, we integrated valid TROPOMI observations over three years (2020–2022) and used mass balance modeling to derive a long-term mean estimate of the emission rate. The resulting column-mean dry-air mole fraction (XCH4) enhancement over Calgary was small (4.7 ppb), but within the city boundaries, we identified local hot spots in the vicinity of known emission sources (wastewater treatment facilities and landfills). The city-level emission estimate from mass balance was 215.4 ± 132.8 t CH4/d. This estimate is approximately four times larger than estimates from Canada's gridded National Inventory Report of anthropogenic CH4 emissions and six times larger than the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR v8.0). We note that valid TROPOMI observations are more common in warmer months and occur during a narrow daily overpass time slot over Calgary. The limited valid observations in combination with the constrained temporal observational coverage may bias the emission estimate. Overall, the findings from this case study highlight an approach to derive a screening-level estimate of city-level methane emission rates using TROPOMI data in settings with low observational coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the record-breaking wildfires that occurred in Canada in 2023, unprecedented quantities of air pollutants and greenhouse gases were released into the atmosphere. The wildfires had emitted more than 1.3 Pg CO2 and 0.14 Pg CO2 equivalent of other greenhouse gases (GHG) including CH4 and N2O as of 31 August. The wildfire-related GHG emissions constituted more than doubled Canada's planned cumulative anthropogenic emissions reductions in 10 years, which represents a significant challenge to climate mitigation efforts. The model simulations showed that the Canadian wildfires impacted not only the local air quality but also that of most areas in the northern hemisphere due to long-range transport, causing severe PM2.5 pollution in the northeastern United States and increasing daily mean PM2.5 concentration in northwestern China by up to 2 µg m−3. The observed maximum daily mean PM2.5 concentration in New York City reached 148.3 µg m−3, which was their worst air quality in more than 50 years, nearly 10 times that of the air quality guideline (i.e., 15 µg m−3) issued by the World Health Organization (WHO). Aside from the direct emissions from forest fires, the peat fires beneath the surface might smolder for several months or even longer and release substantial amounts of CO2. The substantial amounts of greenhouse gases from forest and peat fires might contribute to the positive feedback to the climate, potentially accelerating global warming. To better understand the comprehensive environmental effects of wildfires and their interactions with the climate system, more detailed research based on advanced observations and Earth System Models is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its northern location, the exposure and vulnerability of Canada's forest ecosystems to climate change impacts are all too glaring. While there is now an extensive body of literature describing expected climate change impacts and potential responses, studies characterizing the implementation of adaptation and mitigation practices in forest management remain rare in the Canadian forest sector. Using a systematic literature review, we examined reports on forest management practices implemented in response to climate change, specifically focusing on governance and institutional arrangements that either support or limit climate change adaptation and mitigation responses. Our literature sample size of 24 documents suggests that the body of literature reporting on adaptation and mitigation practices in forest management is scarce. Governments remain the dominant actors providing funding and leading the implementation and reporting of climate change adaptation practices, primarily in response to national or international climate change commitments. Forest practices such as enhanced silviculture, assisted migration, and nature-based solutions were the most frequently reported. However, given the scarcity of literature, it is difficult to conclude the scope of climate change adaptation practice uptake in Canada. Barriers such as lack of information/data, inter-jurisdictional knowledge transfer, policy conflicts, forest tenure models, technical capacity gaps, and economic barriers to adaptation need to be overcome to strengthen climate change response in forest management. Better coordination of reporting at the provincial and national levels and improved information flows between private sector organizations and governments are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada is recognized as a global leader in sustainable forest management. Canadian forests and the forest sector remain vital pillars of the Canadian economy and home to many rural and remote communities. However, climate change is an existential threat to the sustainability of forests and forest-dependent communities. While both direct and indirect threats posed by climate change to Canada's forest sector are now well understood, our understanding of specific forest practices that have emerged from the body of science to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts is not well documented. Through a review of the scientific and grey literature, this study expands our knowledge and operational gaps associated with implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation practices in Canadian forests. The study found a dearth of literature specifically dedicated to reporting on the type of forest practices currently in use across Canada to address mitigation and adaptation. Most reports or studies were published in 2019 or later, with federal and provincial governments being the dominant actors in reporting and monitoring, research, and funding. Across the 15 terrestrial ecozones in Canada, forest practices linked to climate change were reported in 12 ecozones, with most practices reported in the Montane Cordillera located in western Canada. Common forest practices reported include fuel management, assisted migration, enhanced silvicultural activities, and carbon offset projects. We conclude that climate change adaptation/mitigation practices in Canada are in their early stages of implementation. Many practices remain in experimental stages (e.g., genetic trials) or are implemented at a relatively small scale in Canada (e.g., climate-based seed transfer and carbon reserves). The literature suggests that the most mainstream practices associated with climate change mitigation in Canada include tree planting for carbon sequestration and the designation of protected areas to enhance ecosystem resilience. We conclude that despite increasing reports linking climate change benefits with reported forest practices, the reporting in the scientific literature is scarce, poorly reported, and often not grounded in credible evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantification and mapping of surficial seabed sediment organic carbon has wide-scale relevance across marine ecology, geology and environmental resource management, with carbon densities and accumulation rates being a major indicator of geological history, ecological function, and ecosystem service provisioning, including the potential to contribute to nature-based climate change mitigation. While global mapping products can appear to provide a definitive understanding of the spatial distribution of sediment carbon, there is inherently high uncertainty when making estimates at this scale. Finer resolution national maps which utilise targeted data syntheses and refined spatial data products are therefore vital to improve these estimates. Here, we report a national systematic review of data on organic carbon content in seabed sediments across Canada and combine this with a synthesis and unification of best available data on sediment composition, seafloor morphology, hydrology, chemistry, geographic setting and sediment mass accumulation rates within a machine learning mapping framework. Predictive quantitative maps of mud content, sediment dry bulk density, and organic carbon content, density and accumulation, were each produced along with cell specific estimates of their 95 % confidence interval (CI) bounds at 200 m resolution across 4,489,235 km² of the Canadian continental margin (92.6 % of the seafloor area above 2,500 m). Fine-scale variation in carbon stocks was identified across the Canadian continental margin, particularly in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions. Carbon accumulation was predicted to be concentrated in coastal areas, with the highest rates in the Gulf of St Lawrence and Bay of Fundy. Overall, we estimate the standing stock of organic carbon in the top 30 cm of surficial seabed sediments across the Canadian shelf and slope to be 10.7 Gt (95 % CI 6.6 – 16.0 Gt), and accumulation at 4.9 Mt per year (95 % CI 2.6 – 9.3 Mt y-1). Increased in-situ sediment data collection and higher precision in spatial environmental data-layers could significantly reduce uncertainty and increase accuracy in these products over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy transitions in Indigenous, Northern and remote communities in Canada promise benefits that go beyond reliable, clean and affordable energy services. The Federal and Provincial governments have committed funding to get remote communities off diesel, acknowledging energy transitions' global and local benefits. Besides climate change mitigation, other benefits, including job creation, income generation, community ownership and local economic growth, are fundamental components of the value proposition of renewable energy projects. However, despite the promises, little evidence of the impacts of renewable energy on communities' local conditions exists. This article looks at the relationship between renewable energy projects and community well-being in Canada. We construct a panel of Indigenous communities and well-being levels using Census data and information about renewable energy projects for the period 1981–2016. The findings suggest that renewable energy is associated with higher levels of well-being. Concretely, having access to renewable energy increases overall well-being by 1 to 5 points on the 0–100 well-being scale, depending on the component of the well-being index considered in the analysis. • Renewable energy and community wellbeing is an essential relationship for successful energy transitions. • The size of the renewable energy projects is strongly associated with higher community wellbeing. • Communities that hold majority ownership of renewable energy projects exhibit higher wellbeing levels. • Solar and wind energy projects are associated with higher wellbeing levels, whereas hydropower is associated with lower ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity and climate change crises have led countries—including Canada—to commit to protect more land and inland waters and to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. Canada is also obligated to recover populations of at-risk species, including boreal caribou. Canada has the opportunity to expand its protected areas network to protect hotspots of high value for biodiversity and climate mitigation. However, co-occurrence of hotspots is rare. Here we ask: is it possible to expand the network to simultaneously protect areas important for boreal caribou, other species at risk, climate refugia, and carbon stores? We used linear programming to prioritize areas for protection based on these conservation objectives, and assessed how prioritization for multiple, competing objectives affected the outcome for each individual objective. Our multi-objective approach produced reasonably strong representation of value across objectives. Although trade-offs were required, the multi-objective outcome was almost always better than when we ignored one objective to maximize value for another, highlighting the risk of assuming that a plan based on one objective will also result in strong outcomes for others. Multi-objective optimization approaches could be used to plan for protected areas networks that address biodiversity and climate change objectives, even when hotspots do not co-occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning and policy are best done through integrated approaches that holistically address multiple sustainability issues. Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most significant issues facing our planet. Accordingly, advancements in integrated sustainability planning and policy require a means for examining how certain strategies and actions may align or conflict with these sustainability imperatives. Here, we enhance the knowledge of integrated approaches for addressing sustainability challenges by developing and applying a framework for examining different planning and policy areas in the context of climate action and biodiversity conservation. As a case study, we used wildlife crossing planning and landscape connectivity policy in Canada, which is currently piecemeal, fragmented, and could benefit from an integrated approach. The study was conducted in two stages. First, we developed an analytical framework for examining issues in the context of climate action and biodiversity conservation co-benefits and trade-offs. Then, we applied the framework to wildlife crossing and landscape connectivity issues to elucidate opportunities and challenges for integrated planning and policy. We used a literature review to develop an integrated climate-biodiversity framework (ICBF). ICBF was subsequently applied to wildlife crossing and landscape connectivity planning and policies in Canada. ICBF maps relationships between climate action and biodiversity conservation co-benefits and trade-offs and is organized into six themes: green space, transportation, green infrastructure, food and agriculture, energy, and land management. Applying ICBF to participant interview data produced insights into opportunities and challenges for integrated approaches to wildlife crossing and landscape connectivity by elucidating potential co-benefits and trade-offs such as alignments between stormwater management and aquatic crossings (i.e., co-benefits) and potential issues related to energy development and habitat fragmentation (i.e., trade-offs). ICBF has application beyond wildlife crossings, and its continual use and refinement will result in a better understanding of how to effectively implement integrated approaches and transition toward sustainable development paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global call to address climate change and advance sustainable development has created rapid growth in research, investment, and policymaking regarding the renewable energy transition of Indigenous communities. From a rightsholder perspective, Indigenous Peoples' vision of sustainability, autonomy, and sovereignty should guide research on their energy needs. In this paper, we present a multi-method, inductive examination to identify gaps between Indigenous communities' expressed needs and rights, and the questions researchers and policymakers investigate in energy transition research conducted in the context of Indigenous communities located in Canada. We combine a systematic review of the extant literature, a scoping review of the grey literature on off-grid communities by Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments and non-governmental policy bodies, qualitative primary data collected via fieldwork, and an in-depth study of an Indigenous-led renewable energy transition study conducted by Haíɫzaqv Nation's Climate Action Team. We holistically examine these different perspectives and identify emergent themes to recommend ways to bridge the gaps between off-grid renewable energy research and stated Indigenous community priorities. Specifically, we recommend designing equitable research practices, understanding community worldviews, developing holistic research goals, respecting Indigenous data sovereignty, and sharing or co-developing knowledge with communities to align with community priorities closely. • There is a research-practice gap in Indigenous communities' energy transitions. • We used a multi-method inquiry integrating Indigenous and Western approaches. • Renewable energy literature diverges from the Indigenous community vision and goals. • Indigenous research methods can reduce the research-practice gap in high-tech fields. • Community-based approaches can use traditional laws to yield actionable outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Substitution factors for forest products for the Canadian context were developed. • Substitution factors ranging from 0.51 to 0.91 tC/tC were found. • They will lead to more accurate assessments of the forest GHG mitigation potential. • These factors will help governments to manage forest and fight climate change. Evaluating the climate change mitigation potential of the forest sector requires a holistic approach based on forest carbon (C) sequestration, C storage in harvested wood products (HWP) and substitution on markets. High uncertainty is associated with substitution factors, that express avoided fossil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the use of forest-based products in replacement of GHG-intensive materials and fossil fuels. Few studies have focused on the development of substitution factors in Canada, resulting in the use of unrepresentative generic data. Here, we provide a framework to reduce uncertainties related to substitution factors for primary wood products in a Canadian context. A life cycle assessment framework is used to quantify fossil GHG emissions for a baseline and a wood-intensive scenario. For solid product substitution, we focused on the construction sector and analyzed a range of innovative wood buildings with steel and reinforced concrete as alternative materials. We found non-weighted averages of 0.80 tC/tC for sawnwood and 0.81 tC/tC for panels. For energy substitution, we analyzed cases with different specifications on biomass product, facility type and alternative fossil fuel source in non-residential heat production and biofuel transportation sectors. We found a non-weighted average of 0.80 tC/tC for non-residential heat production and 0.51 tC/tC for biofuel transportation, that can be interpreted as 0.91 tC/tC for heavy fuel oil, 0.69 tC/tC for light fuel oil and 0.68 tC/tC for natural gas substitution. These results provide a benchmark for substitution factors in Canada, to help guide forest management strategies for climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists advise limiting global warming to 1.5°C with substantial actions by 2030. Our viewpoint argues that climate response strategies in Canada have underemphasized and underestimated the potential contribution deep energy retrofits can make to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, leading to inadequate responses in the building sector, and that Canada can (and should) be ambitious with building retrofits over the next decade. GHG savings from building retrofits can be realized more quickly than GHG reductions from other sectors, and either deliver net cost savings or are cost‐effective when compared to other mitigation measures. Retrofits can also provide social and economic benefits, such as improved health and comfort, and lower energy costs. This paper reviews energy use and building retrofits in Canada and argues the following should be implemented: (1) focus innovation on deep energy retrofit processes, not singular retrofit actions; (2) maximize both social and environmental benefits; (3) improve data gathering and availability for analysis and delivery; (4) innovate for a process of decisions and to avoid "dropouts" during the retrofit process; and (5) focus innovation on business models that maximize benefits. Key Messages: Greenhouse gas savings from deep energy building retrofits are cost‐effective and can be realized more quickly than reductions from other sectors.Program and policy design should prioritize the greatest social, economic, and environmental benefits.Innovation should focus on the retrofit process, financing, and delivery models, rather than solely on technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying a proposed project's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and scrutinizing their effect on climate change are increasingly required in Canadian environmental assessment (EA) processes. This paper investigates to what degree an EA authority's intention for the inclusion of GHG considerations has resulted in implementation into environmental impact statements (EISs) by proponents and how these considerations influence the achievement of GHG reduction targets. Fifteen projects across five Canadian jurisdictions were reviewed. The examination revealed that well-developed intentions by EA authorities did not necessarily result in proponents following guidelines for GHG consideration in their EISs due to the absence of regulation or clearly defined policies. Conversely, even though intentions by an EA authority are underdeveloped in some jurisdictions, EISs sometimes exhibited thorough GHG assessments due to mechanisms in the EA process through which GHG consideration by the proponent could be compelled. The examination did not reveal how GHG consideration in EA currently assists in meeting reduction targets. A GHG emissions limit imposed during the EA process could link EA to success in meeting these targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Temperature was most important regulator of plant litter decay and retention of C in soil. • Precipitation plays an interactive role with temperature. • More than ½ of litter C was lost <1 yr and only about 5–12% remained after 8–10 yr. • Soil properties did not play a discernible role in these processes. • No-till slowed plant litter decay, but only initially in arid environments. Identifying the primary regulators of plant litter decay in agricultural soils is important for understanding ecosystem function now and for managing post-harvest litter in a warmer world. We conducted a litter decay study at 11 sites in Canada and New Zealand with diverse soils and climates. We incorporated 13C-labelled barley litter into the surface 10 cm of soil and monitored amount remaining over 8–10 years; at five sites litter was also applied to the soil surface to simulate no-tillage. Our objectives were to evaluate litter decay as influenced by soil type, tillage practice, and environmental conditions, and quantify the most important factors controlling C retention in soil. Loss of C via decomposition occurred quickly – more than half was lost within 1 year and only about 5–12% remained at the end of the experiment. A double exponential decay model, based on temperature and developed from the first 5 years of the study, accurately described litter decay, but only after re-tuning using measurements from the full experimental period. Including precipitation in the model further improved its fit. Soil properties exerted minimal discernible influence on the amount of litter C remaining, implying that properties such as the amount and surface area of clay minerals, were less important than climate in limiting litter decay or enhancing retention of C in soil. Comparison of litter application treatments showed that no-till slowed decay of plant litter, but only for a short time (∼1 yr) and only in environments with a mean annual precipitation of <1000 mm. These findings have implications for the role of soils in climate mitigation. If only 10% of added plant litter C remains in soil beyond a few years, regardless of climate, residue placement, or soil type, then rates of soil gain are limited without substantive increases in residue inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world moves towards a carbon-free future, cities have been identified as key hubs for change. They have the greatest ability to quickly develop more efficient systems and implement climate change mitigation policies. Moreover, cities will become the destination of a population migration as humanity grows globally to a population of 11 billion. In this case study, we show that the applicability of the Ecological Footprint, an overarching outcome measure of resource consumption, for targeting climate change mitigation in cities. We focus on the carbon Footprint subcomponent of the Ecological Footprint, and further translate and disaggregate the carbon Footprint into detailed classification of individual consumption according to purpose (COICOP) and analyze the Footprint of consumption associated with each of these categories for 15 Canadian cities according to census metropolitan area (CMA), from each province. The Ecological Footprint of CMAs was calculated from the consumption land use matrix (CLUM) of Canada, by scaling results according to the annual national survey of household spending from 2010 to 2015. The expenditure in electricity was also scaled with the carbon intensity factor. Our findings indicate that the carbon Footprint remains the largest contributor of the Ecological Footprint of CMAs. The carbon Footprint associated with housing varied significantly with the source of electricity production. CMAs relying on renewable energy sources have a substantially lower carbon Footprint than those relying on fossil fuel energy. The carbon Footprint associated with the operation of personal transportation was the second largest among all consumption categories. Financial services is the largest share of the carbon Footprint from service consumption. Clothing consumption caused most of the goods’ carbon Footprint. A better understanding of urban planning of Canadian CMAs and promoting local consumption will improve carbon mitigation and long-term sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilities were studied in two agroforestry systems. • We studied hedgerow and shelterbelt systems and their component land-uses (cropland vs forest). • The biological stability of SOC was higher in hedgerow than in shelterbelt system. • The biological stability of SOC was higher in cropland than in forest land-use. • Agroforestry system by land-use interactively affected the thermal stability of SOC. Agroforestry systems play important roles in carbon (C) sequestration in western Canada. However, the effect of agroforestry system type and their component land-uses (forested area and cropland) on soil organic C (SOC) stability is poorly understood. We studied SOC stability in surface soils from two agroforestry systems (shelterbelt system and hedgerow system) and their component land-uses (forested area and cropland) in western Canada. A 61-day laboratory incubation was used to assess SOC biological stability, and compared to thermal stability measured during ramped combustion. The shelterbelt system had a lower biological stability than the hedgerow system as indicated by the higher cumulative soil respiration and SOC loss during incubation. Cumulative respiration and SOC loss during incubation in the forested area was 1.63 and 1.57 times that in the cropland, indicating a lower SOC biological stability in the former. Thermal stability indicators, CO 2 -T 50 (the temperature at which half of the CO 2 is produced), DSC-T 50 (the temperature at which half of the exothermic energy of the SOC is released) and ROI (return on energy investment) were influenced by the interactive effects of the agroforestry system by land-use, while TG-T 50 (the temperature at which half of the exothermic mass is lost) and Ed (energy density) were influenced by land-use and the interactive effects of agroforestry system by land-use. Hedgerow cropland had a higher SOC thermal stability (higher TG-T 50) than the hedgerow forested area, while there was no difference among shelterbelt cropland, and the forested areas of shelterbelt and hedgerow system. We conclude that planting trees on agricultural land to form agroforestry systems alters SOC biological and thermal stabilities, and the hedgerow system may have a more stable SOC than the shelterbelt system, thus, maintaining the hedgerow system may enhance C stability, promote C sequestration and climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Best Management Practices and Beneficial Management Practices ("MP") are two ideational elements, that have emerged in water quality literature. This research explores the questions of where has the lesser utilized term 'Beneficial' emerged and why? To answer these questions, articles obtained from the Web of Science by searching keywords "Best MP"/"Beneficial MP" and "Water" are analyzed using bibliometric techniques through VOS Viewer including time trend of publications, and indicators including keywords, disciplines, institutions, geographies, influential authors and journals, and key funders of these two terms. This paper also employs document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key policy stakeholders. Beneficial Management Practices emerged in Canada (although the term was used in a few instances elsewhere) in Canadian government policy documents starting in 2003. The term 'Beneficial' refers to a lesser standard than "Best" and is exclusive to agricultural practices in risk and environmental farm policy; "Best Management Practices" refer to a wider set of practices (in other sectors like mining) utilized by a more substantive and diverse set of institutions (predominately American and significantly populated by universities). Explanations for the emergence of the term include that it is more 'honest,' it allows for more choices and trade-offs, it reflects the strong economic driver of agriculture, and several interviewees referred to it better reflecting the uncertainty of science. While the strength of the agricultural sector in influencing the 'Beneficial' discourse is not surprising, the failure to measure the improvement to the water quality of Beneficial Management Programs and measure policy's effectiveness is noteworthy. • Canadian Prairie water quality has not improved since 1990 despite Beneficial Management Practices. • Economic consideration prevents Beneficial Management Practices' environmental effectiveness. • Failure to measure effectiveness at improving water quality inhibits the effectiveness. • The "Beneficial" conflict foreshadows the politics of their climate change mitigation expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the mitigation potential of local use of bioenergy from harvest residues for the 2.3 × 106 km2 (232 Mha) of Canada's managed forests from 2017 to 2050 using three models: Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector ( CBM- CFS3), a harvested wood products ( HWP) model that estimates bioenergy emissions, and a model of emission substitution benefits from the use of bioenergy. We compare the use of harvest residues for local heat and electricity production relative to a base case scenario and estimate the climate change mitigation potential at the forest management unit level. Results demonstrate large differences between and within provinces and territories across Canada. We identify regions with increasing benefits to the atmosphere for many decades into the future and regions where no net benefit would occur over the 33-year study horizon. The cumulative mitigation potential for regions with positive mitigation was predicted to be 429 Tg CO2e in 2050, with 7.1 TgC yr −1 of harvest residues producing bioenergy that met 3.1% of the heat demand and 2.9% of the electricity demand for 32.1 million people living within these regions. Our results show that regions with positive mitigation produced bioenergy, mainly from combined heat and power facilities, with emissions intensities that ranged from roughly 90 to 500 kg CO2e MWh−1. Roughly 40% of the total captured harvest residue was associated with regions that were predicted to have a negative cumulative mitigation potential in 2050 of −152 Tg CO2e. We conclude that the capture of harvest residues to produce local bioenergy can reduce GHG emissions in populated regions where bioenergy, mainly from combined heat and power facilities, offsets fossil fuel sources (fuel oil, coal and petcoke, and natural gas). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We estimate the mitigation potential of local use of bioenergy from harvest residues for the 2.3 × 106 km2 (232 Mha) of Canada's managed forests from 2017 to 2050 using three models: Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM‐CFS3), a harvested wood products (HWP) model that estimates bioenergy emissions, and a model of emission substitution benefits from the use of bioenergy. We compare the use of harvest residues for local heat and electricity production relative to a base case scenario and estimate the climate change mitigation potential at the forest management unit level. Results demonstrate large differences between and within provinces and territories across Canada. We identify regions with increasing benefits to the atmosphere for many decades into the future and regions where no net benefit would occur over the 33‐year study horizon. The cumulative mitigation potential for regions with positive mitigation was predicted to be 429 Tg CO2e in 2050, with 7.1 TgC yr −1 of harvest residues producing bioenergy that met 3.1% of the heat demand and 2.9% of the electricity demand for 32.1 million people living within these regions. Our results show that regions with positive mitigation produced bioenergy, mainly from combined heat and power facilities, with emissions intensities that ranged from roughly 90 to 500 kg CO2e MWh−1. Roughly 40% of the total captured harvest residue was associated with regions that were predicted to have a negative cumulative mitigation potential in 2050 of −152 Tg CO2e. We conclude that the capture of harvest residues to produce local bioenergy can reduce GHG emissions in populated regions where bioenergy, mainly from combined heat and power facilities, offsets fossil fuel sources (fuel oil, coal and petcoke, and natural gas). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved land stewardship is necessary for climate change mitigation. As such, actions are needed to increase carbon (C) sinks and reduce C emissions from land use activities. Residual materials with fertilizing capacity can be used to reconstruct severely degraded soils and recreate a sustainable vegetation cover, leading to reductions in atmospheric CO 2 levels. We studied the temporal dynamics of CO 2 sequestration potential in soils reconstructed with 1200 Mg ha−1 biosolids along a young chronosequence ranging from 0 to 7 years after initiating reclamation of a decommissioned asbestos mine in southern Québec, Canada. We measured in situ soil CO 2 fluxes, soil C pools and soil physicochemical properties. Since bacterial communities are highly responsive to soil physicochemical properties, we also analyzed both their diversity and community structure. The age since soil reclamation did not have a clear effect on soil properties, but it exerted greater control over soil C fluxes and soil bacterial community diversity and structure. Our results suggest large C fluxes to the atmosphere within the first year following soil reconstruction, but soils constitute a stable C pool thereafter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest bioenergy can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions associated with energy production. We assessed changes in GHG emissions resulting from displacement of coal with wood pellets for the Atikokan Generating Station located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Two contrasting biomass sources were considered for continuous wood pellet production: harvest residue from current harvest operations (residue scenario) and fibre from expanded harvest of standing live trees (stemwood scenario). For the stemwood scenario, two metrics were used to assess the effects of displacing coal with forest biomass on GHG emissions: (i) time to carbon sequestration parity, defined as the time from the beginning of harvest to when the combined GHG benefit of displacing coal with biomass and the amount of carbon in regenerating forest equalled the amount of forest carbon without harvest for energy production; and (ii) time to carbon debt repayment, defined as the time from the beginning of harvest to when the combined GHG benefit of displacing coal with biomass and the amount of carbon in the regenerating forest equalled forest carbon at the time of harvest. Only time to carbon sequestration parity was used for the residue scenario. In the residue scenario, carbon sequestration parity was achieved within 1 year. In the stemwood scenario, times to carbon sequestration parity and carbon debt repayment were 91 and 112 years, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that estimates were robust when parameter values were varied. Modelling experiments showed that increasing growth rates for regenerating stands in the stemwood scenario could substantially reduce time to carbon sequestration parity. We discuss the use of the two metrics (time to carbon sequestration parity and time to carbon debt repayment) for assessing the effects of forest bioenergy projects on GHG emissions and make recommendations on terminology and methodologies for forest bioenergy studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever-increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide make it quite challenging to meet country-specific Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets. Therefore, it is evident that the existing emissions abatement measures need to be taken a step further. Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) are allowed in Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement as a cooperative approach to achieving NDC goals. There is a potential to create ITMOs between Canada and China by replacing coal use in China with British Columbia (BC)'s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. Replacing coal with LNG in energy generation applications is a promising approach to mitigate emissions. With global and national pressures to reduce emissions, China has created a market for LNG imports to cater to its rising natural gas (NG) consumption due to the coal-to-gas source switching strategy. However, the terms under Article 6.2 requires generated ITMOs to ensure environmental integrity, support sustainable development goals, and have a robust accounting system. Therefore, the current study aims to quantify the life cycle environmental outcomes of generating ITMOs by exporting LNG from BC to Chinese end-users while integrating uncertainties and to provide policy recommendations in adherence with the requirements of Article 6.2. Different LNG export scenarios were generated in the study and environmental impacts of each scenario were assessed and compared using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework developed by the authors. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were conducted to understand the impacts created by the data uncertainties in the final result. By replacing conventional coal with NG, approximately 40–45% and 26%–32% emissions reductions can be obtainable for Chinese textile and chemical industries, respectively. The highest emissions reduction of approximately 60% was observed when coal is replaced with NG for district heating. The life cycle emissions (LCE) quantification framework provided in the study provides stakeholders with a systematic approach to determine the total GHG emissions and emissions reduction potential of different LNG export scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally accepted that land use and land management practices impact climate change through sequestration of carbon in soils, but modulation of surface energy budget can also be important. Using Landsat data to characterize cropland albedos in Canada's three prairie soil zones, this study estimates the atmospheric carbon equivalent drawdown of albedo radiative forcing for three management practices: 1) moving from conventional tillage to no-till, 2) eliminating summer fallow in crop rotations, and 3) growing crops with higher albedos. In a 50-year time horizon, conversion from conventional tillage to no-till results in a total equivalent atmospheric C O 2 (C O 2 -eq) drawdown of 1.0–1.5 kg m − 2 , and conversion from summer fallow to crops results in C O 2 -eq drawdown of 1.1–2.4 kg m − 2 . Conversion of summer fallow to crops results in different magnitudes of C O 2 -eq drawdown depending on specific crops. Lentils, peas, and canola have relatively higher albedo than that of spring wheat and flax; hence, a larger magnitude of C O 2 -eq drawdown results when they replace summer fallow in the rotation. For the management changes from 1990 to 2019 for the whole Canadian Prairies, albedo changes induced a C O 2 -eq drawdown of about 179.3 ± 20.9 Tg due to increased area of no-till, and 101.6 ± 9.5 Tg due to reduced area under fallow. The study shows that the magnitudes of C O 2 -eq drawdown due to albedo change are comparable to that due to soil carbon sequestration. Therefore, it is important to account for cropland albedo changes in assessing the potential of agricultural management practices to mitigate climate change. • Agricultural practices modify surface albedos and induce radiative forcing. • Albedo radiative forcing is assessed using carbon equivalent metrics. • Reducing summer fallow and tillage intensity induces negative radiative forcing. • Large scale conversion of crops causes albedo radiative forcing. • Cropland albedo change should be considered in climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are important ecosystems that are linked to climate change mitigation. As 25% of global wetlands are located in Canada, accurate and up-to-date wetland classification is of high importance, nationally and internationally. The advent of deep learning techniques has revolutionized the current use of machine learning algorithms to classify complex environments, specifically in remote sensing. In this paper, we explore the potential and possible limitations to be overcome regarding the use of ensemble deep learning techniques for complex wetland classification and discusses the potential and limitation of various solo convolutional neural networks (CNNs), including DenseNet, GoogLeNet, ShuffleNet, MobileNet, Xception, Inception-ResNet, ResNet18, and ResNet101 in three different study areas located in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (i.e., Avalon, Gros Morne, and Grand Falls). Moreover, to improve the classification accuracies of wetland classes of bog, fen, marsh, swamp, and shallow water, the results of the three best CNNs in each study area is fused using three supervised classifiers of random forest (RF), bagged tree (BTree), Bayesian optimized tree (BOT), and one unsupervised majority voting classifier. The results suggest that the ensemble models, in particular BTree, have a valuable role to play in the classification of wetland classes of bog, fen, marsh, swamp, and shallow water. The ensemble CNNs show an improvement of 9.63–19.04% in terms of mean producer's accuracy compared to the solo CNNs, to recognize wetland classes in three different study areas. This research indicates a promising potential for integrating ensemble-based learning and deep learning for operational large area land cover, particularly complex wetland type classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change is a key concern in today's world, especially with the growth of population and industrial activities. One of the biggest sources of climate change is anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In Canada, buildings are the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, contributing to 12% of the country's equivalent Carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions have various negative impacts on the planet, which impede the transition towards a cleaner environment and more sustainable communities. Attention has now shifted towards Carbon dioxide reduction in addition to the currently practiced energy efficiency improvements and source switching, which is also important in achieving Canada's 2030 climate action goals. The current study attempts to address the above gap by investigating the feasibility of installing carbon capturing unit at building level, based on the perceptions of building managers in both multi-unit residential buildings and non-residential buildings. A Modified Digital Logic approach was used to identify the key factors that determine the acceptability of the unit, based on experts' input. Six primary criteria were identified to design a questionnaire and structured interviews to evaluate the acceptability of building level carbon capturing unit to stakeholders. The findings indicated that around 50% of non-residential building managers were interested in installing the carbon capturing unit, whereas none of the multi-unit building managers were in favor of the unit installation. The lack of interest is attributed to different factors such as unit scalability, inability to accurately estimate the short and long-term economic benefits, and other alternate plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Specifically, when establishing relationship between cost and unit scalability, 82% of residential unit managers and 50% of non-residential managers opined that the unit should be capable of being upgraded to accommodate a larger area and capture more emissions in order to justify the proposed cost of the unit. The findings provide important insights for policy makers in understanding the acceptability of carbon capturing unit at building level and to further develop and promote this emerging technology in the market. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A retrofit selection strategy employing economic and environmental decision criteria was proposed. • Building energy retrofits were evaluated through a life cycle thinking approach. • Retrofits with operational emissions savings may not be beneficial when considering life cycle impacts. • Energy mix and the heating system of the house greatly impact the effectiveness. • Retrofit selection changes with stakeholder priorities on environment and economics. Improving the energy performance of buildings has been a much-discussed topic over the past few decades. With the current focus on climate change mitigation, emissions reduction has also come to the forefront of this discussion. Retrofitting is an option to improve the energy and emissions performance of buildings. However, in the residential building stock, retrofit planning for existing buildings faces many complexities due to variations in climatic conditions and macro-environment as well as the presence of multiple stakeholder groups. Thus, in identifying solutions, it is necessary to take a holistic perspective that covers these different dimensions. In this paper, commonly used building energy retrofits were evaluated through a life cycle thinking approach. The performance of various retrofit options applicable for single family detached housing were evaluated using the HOT2000 energy simulation software package under the varying climatic conditions and energy supply scenarios across Canada. The retrofits were evaluated in terms of the additional investment, energy use and cost reduction achieved over the life cycle, and life cycle emissions reduction. The findings indicate that the provincial energy mix and the heating system of the house (i.e. electric or natural gas) play a major role in determining the effectiveness of a retrofit, and this "effectiveness" changes at different stakeholder levels. However, not all retrofits that reduce emissions make economic sense and vice versa when life cycle thinking comes into play. The findings will be useful for building owners and occupants as well as for policy developers and other decision makers interested in demand side management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Displacement of fossil fuels by forest bioenergy can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, GHG savings are not realised until the avoided fossil emissions offset the loss of atmospheric carbon (C) that would have been sequestered if the biomass was not used for bioenergy (i.e. time to C sequestration parity). We estimated the potential for mitigating GHG emissions and the timing of these atmospheric benefits when substituting conventional natural gas (NG) with renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from different forestry feedstocks within three Canadian provinces, and assessed the uncertainty among these estimates. We calculated the GHG balance of RNG using the alternative fate of biomass and the use of NG as base-case scenarios. Immediate to long-term time to C sequestration parity was typically in the order of residues burned < mill residues < harvest residues decaying on site < salvaged trees. The potential GHG savings from using harvest and mill residues to produce RNG within the three provinces ranged from 52.4 to 77.8 Mt CO 2eq a−1. Sensitivity analyses suggest that time to C sequestration parity in the best-case scenarios relative to the baseline can be reduced up to 17 years by using harvest residues that decay rapidly (based on feedstock species, size and geographic region), and reduced up to 8 years by improving the efficiency of the thermochemical conversion process. These two considerations are key for ensuring significant GHG reductions from RNG use within a timescale that helps Canada meet its GHG mitigation targets. • Immediate GHG benefits for RNG produced with residues otherwise burned on site. • No short-term C sequestration parity time for RNG produced with forest residues. • C sequestration parity time >100 years for RNG produced with salvaged trees. • Potential net GHG savings of 52.4–77.8 Mt CO 2eq.year−1 for RNG use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gas and electricity together accounted for 82.5% of all residential energy use in Canada in 2013 with nearly half of the average household consumption from natural gas used for heating. Energy demand is projected to grow exponentially due to population increase. In May 2015, Canada submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change which included an economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. As of 2016, Canada is projected to significantly miss its 2020 and 2030 climate target with the set of measures it currently has in place. The projected target for 2020 is 622 mega tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq.) and the projected outcome is 768 Mt CO2 eq. The projected target for 2030 is 524 Mt CO2 eq. and the projected outcome is 815 Mt CO2 eq. This leads to the demand of innovative solutions to reduce fossil fuel usage and to switch to renewable energy. A recent heat extraction system has been developed that combines a typical horizontal ground heat exchanger with a sewage pipe. The heat extraction system is a hollow concrete cylinder with a helical high-density polyethylene pipe embedded within the pipe walls. The high-density polyethylene pipe has an outlet and inlet on each length of pipe which are attached to a heat pump which circulate a heat exchange fluid. As the heat exchange fluid cycles through the system, it extracts heat from the surrounding soil and sewage within the pipe while simultaneously carrying the sewage to a waste treatment plant. A heat pump uses the obtained energy to heat a building in cold weather and cool a building in hot weather. This system has not been studied under transient conditions in an extreme climate. In this study, a numerical model is developed using the finite element solver COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate heat transfer coupled with fluid flow by solving partial differential equations where temperature is the dependent variable. A soil block is initially modelled to simulate a control scenario of ground temperature in order to extract data at specific locations for specific times. Following are multiple simulations which implemented the heat extraction system with various energy demands into the soil block to compare ground temperatures at specific locations. A five year period of sustainability is demonstrated through comparison of temperature differentials of adjacent soil locations to the benchmarks established. The maximum temperature change over the five year period interpreted is 1.8 degrees centigrade at 0.1 meters adjacent to the heat extraction system for 75% energy demand of a bed and breakfast located south of Winnipeg. The system is shown to handle an energy demand of up to 6 typical residential houses in Winnipeg when the sewage temperature is kept constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]