Climate Change

Integrated Approach

Addressing climate change in the territory is led by Environment and Climate Change (ECC) and is a cross-departmental priority for the GNWT. ECC, the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Finance are working together — along with other GNWT departments and external partners — to ensure our response to climate change is coordinated and comprehensive.

NWT Climate Change Action Plan

The Action Plan was released in April 2019 and includes action items that will help the territory reach the goals set out in the Framework from 2019 to 2023.

The first annual Action Plan report, and a plain language overview report summarizing the GNWT’s activities to address climate change, were released in December 2020. The reports highlight the progress that has been made in the first year of implementing the Action Plan. These reports support transparency and public accountability.

Annual Reports

NWT Energy Initiatives Report

Produced by the Department of Infrastructure, the GNWT’s 2030 Energy Strategy (Strategy) sets out the GNWT’s long-term approach to supporting secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply and use in the NWT. The Strategy is also directly linked to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change and one of the main ways — along with the NWT Carbon Tax — the GNWT will reach the Framework’s first goal of transitioning to a lower carbon economy.

The 2019-20 Energy Initiatives Report was released in December 2020. It provides detailed information on the progress the GNWT has made in achieving the goals of the Strategy.

For more information on what the GNWT is doing to support secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply and use in the territory, visit the Department of Infrastructure’s website.

 

Annual Reports

NWT Carbon Tax

The NWT Carbon Tax was implemented in September 2019. It supports the Framework’s first goal of transitioning the NWT to a lower carbon economy. It is also the NWT’s approach to carbon pricing as part of a commitment to the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The carbon tax increased from $20 per tonne in 2019 to $30 per tonne in 2020. The Department of Finance is responsible for implementing the tax. It released the 2019-2020 NWT Carbon Tax Annual Report in fall 2020.

For more information on the NWT Carbon Tax, how it works and how it may impact you, visit the Department of Finance’s website.

 

Annual reports