The Liberal government is being criticized for its newly proposed climate legislation.

Bill C-12 would legally bind the government to set five-year targets for cutting carbon emissions starting in 2030 and ending in 2050.

Canada is supposed to hit net-zero emissions in 2050, which means there either are no more emissions or those still produced are absorbed by nature or technology.

The legislation was praised as a good first step but environmental groups and opposition parties are calling out the government for not setting an interim five-year target for 2025.

NDP environment critic Laurel Collins pointed to climate experts who say the next ten years are critical if we are to halting global warming below 2C above pre-industrial levels.

If the planet warms more than 2C, the results are predicted to be catastrophic and irreversible.

Collins says setting a 2025 target would show Canada understands that and is willing to do more to prevent it.

The only penalty for the government failing to meet the targets is to admit it publicly.