When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gathers Monday in Ottawa with the 13 provincial and territorial premiers it will be the first such meeting since January 16, 2009.
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The government of Alberta, Canada has announced in a press release its Climate Leadership Plan that will accelerate the transition from coal to renewable electricity sources, puts a price on carbon pollution, and sets emission limits for oil sands. “Premier Notley was clear that no one will be left behind”. “Our goal should be to become one of the world’s most progressive and forward-looking energy producers”.
The new regulations build on efforts begun by Notley’s predecessor, Jim Prentice, to rehabilitate the tarnished reputation of Canada’s oil-sands industry. “They are the product of negotiations and I think that what we have been able to achieve here is an historic agreement and a significant path forward to de-escalate conflict over Alberta’s energy resources”. The Alberta government has responded to protect the health of all Albertans, particularly those who suffer from respiratory disease, such as asthma. – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. That’s the place that has all that oil locked up in tar sands and is anxious about Priuses and Teslas taking over. He says when it comes to coal emissions Alberta is cleaner than the USA, China and other jurisdictions and warns moving faster then the Americans will hurt the Alberta economy.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard says first ministers need to “rebrand” Canada, making the rest of the world aware that the country is not just a fossil fuel superpower but a leader in renewable energy as well.
“Not only are we an important producer of oil… but we’re also the third largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world”. “A carbon tax is simple: you’re going to be paying at every gas pump, you’re going to be paying it on home electricity and home heating”.
The government has promised rebates to about 60 per cent of Albertans, those in the middle to lower-income bracket. “We need to work hard to ensure we’re doing no further harm to an industry that is facing great difficulty”, Wall said.
The plan, the result of months of study and public input, will introduce a broad-based carbon tax that would apply across the economy. “And I think that’s a reasonable question to ask”.
Opposition Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said the plan could lead to dramatic power price spikes that businesses will pass on to consumers. Oil-sands wells require steam injections to leach out crude embedded in sand, a process that burns up to 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas to produce a single barrel of oil.
What emission reduction target will Canada offer in Paris?For the time being, the Canadian delegation will stick with the target proposed by Stephen Harper’s previous Conservative government: a 30 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030.
“It draws a lot of parallels from the carbon tax that is already levied in British Columbia”, says McInerney.
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“But it’s Canada that’s going to be signing that deal, and it’s Canada that has the concrete obligation to provide a reduction in greenhouse gases”, he added.
