Environmental economist tells trial Canada has limited power to alter climate change

VANCOUVER — An environmental economist testifying at Canada’s first youth-led climate trial says the country has a limited ability to affect the climate inside its borders as it is largely determined by the choices of other countries.

David Anthoff, who studies climate change and environmental policy and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is the first witness called by the federal government in the Federal Court trial in Vancouver.

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The case was brought by 15 youths, who are arguing that federal legislation violates their constitutional rights by continuing the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions.

Anthoff says Canada contributes about 1.4 per cent of global emissions.

He says that means the ability of Canada to affect global climate change through its own domestic emissions is “relatively small” and most of the climate change the country will experience — either large or small — will be determined by other countries.

Anthoff says it is not his view that “what Canada does doesn’t matter,” that it is futile or that there are no consequences to its emissions, but Canada would fare better if it manages a foreign policy initiative between several countries that agree to a co-ordinated effort.

“Then something like that might be a much bigger lever than just the domestic greenhouse gases within Canada just because the vast majority of this problem is caused by emissions outside of Canada’s border,” he told the court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2026.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press