N.W.T.'s new net-zero climate target necessary for its mining future says MLA

The MLA for Yellowknife North says the government's new commitment to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 is "exciting," and something that will need to be taken seriously if the territory wants mining to be part of its future. 

Shauna Morgan pointed out in the Legislative Assembly on Friday that De Beers and Rio Tinto have both already made commitments to making their mining operations around the world net-zero. 

Federal money for the territorial government, like funding for the critical minerals sector, is becoming increasingly contingent on promises to become net-zero, she pointed out.

"If we don't enable a net-zero mining environment in the North then I believe that mining will simply not be able to operate here. It will become less and less attractive," Morgan said in an interview. 

The latest data shows the N.W.T. emitted 1,353 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent into the air in 2022. That's comparable to the emissions from using half a billion litres of diesel. 

Reaching net-zero means bringing those emissions down, and then making sure whatever is still generated is fully absorbed through actions that scrub it from the atmosphere. 

The territory's new commitment was made quietly in a budget-related document tabled in the summer. 

Up until then, the main climate objective had been to reduce emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 – a goal it's only expected to hit because Rio Tinto's Diavik diamond mine is slated to begin closure in 2026. 

How to get there? 

Emily He, the manager of Pembina Institute's renewable energy in remote communities program, said the N.W.T.'s new target is a "positive sign" but that it will need to be coupled with a clear climate action strategy. 

The Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Department of Infrastructure share the responsibility of documenting emissions and mapping out pathways to the new target. Infrastructure works on the energy side of things, while ECC is responsible for non-energy related emissions such as what comes from the territory's garbage. 

Morgan says the pathway to net-zero — and a way to make it more attractive for modern mining — would be to bring in biofuels. Specifically, she suggested replacing conventional diesel that powers industry and transportation with renewable diesel. 

Industry and transportation make up 84 per cent of the territory's emissions, she said. 

In an interview earlier this week, Infrastructure Minister Caroline Wawzonek said renewable diesel and changing energy policy "needs to happen."  She also said electrification would probably be the "easiest response" but that it comes with challenges too, given that the territory has about two dozen microgrids instead of a single power system. 

Robert Sexton, the territory's director of energy, said the N.W.T. is also looking into what he called "net solutions" – things that will balance out whatever is still being emitted 26 years from now. 

That could include planting trees, carbon-capture technology, or buying carbon offsets. 

The bigger picture

Sexton also said becoming net-zero isn't just about reducing emissions. 

"We do have an energy security issue here. And if you're talking about moving your energy system to a net-zero system, you're talking really about bringing the energy home. This will be more community-based energy generation, more local secure supply." 

He pointed to the challenges currently facing Norman Wells, N.W.T., where low water levels on the Mackenzie River this year resulted in cancelled barges to the community, and skyrocketing costs of fuel and other goods.

Sexton said the shift is also about economic reconciliation — paving the way for Indigenous people to own their own energy projects and generate their own power — and the North's future economy as well.

"The world is changing, there's 140 countries globally that have committed to net-zero, including Canada's largest trading partners," he said.

"We need to find ourselves in a position where we're competitive to attract investment in our critical mineral sector and in our mines, so that we can have a future economy — because that's what our investors are looking for now."