The report, Reality Check: The State of Climate Progress in Canada, was requested by Environment Minister Peter Kent in 2011. At the time Minister Kent stated NTREE was "uniquely positioned" to assess federal, provincial and territorial governments' efforts to reduce GHGs. Ottawa's overall goal is to reduce emissions by 17 per cent from 2005 levels.

• A national target needs a concerted national policy behind it;
• Policy uncertainty still exists and stifles progress;
• The country has yet to implement effective policies to address some large sources of emissions

This will be the second last report from the NTREE, which for the past 25 years has provided original research and advice on everything from the effect of climate change on the economy to boreal forest ecological services, but whose funding was cut in the 2012 Canada Budget.

Former Conservative MP and member of NTREE Bob Mills described the decision to cut NTREE funding as "dumb."

"If you're smart you surround yourself with really smart people. And if you're dumb, you surround yourself with a bunch of cheerleaders. We don't need cheerleaders. What we need are smart people," Mills said.