Jean said the Wildrose does support some aspects of the climate change plan, including its focus on improving energy efficiency, and supporting research, innovation, and the expansion of the renewable energy sector.
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“This is the day we step up, at long last, to one of the world’s biggest problems – the pollution that is causing climate change”, Premier Rachel Notley said as she announced her government’s new policy in Edmonton on Sunday. The western province said renewable energy sources will provide 30% of electricity production by 2030.
As for the carbon tax, it will start at $20 per tonne in January 2017 and increase to $30 the following year.
The government also adds in the press release that they will be setting an overall oil sands emission limit of 100 megatonnes, with the provision for new upgrading and co-generation.
The province is proposing rules for new facilities that it said would reduce methane emissions from oil and gas companies by 45 percent by 2025.
But as remarkable as it was for the likes of both oilpatch billionaire Murray Edwards, Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s chairman, and former US vice president Al Gore, an outspoken advocate for tougher climate action, to back the plan, not everyone is singing its praises.
The Alberta cabinet also announced a drastic reduction in the amount of carbon emissions it would permit to be emitted from oil sands.
Wall, whose energy-producing province is heading into an election year, is somewhat of a wild card in the climate talks.
“I’m hopeful these policies will lead to a new collaborative conversation about Canada’s energy infrastructure on its merits and to a significant de-escalation of conflict worldwide about the Alberta oilsands”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday met the country’s provinces to hammer out a national climate change strategy, but two major players signaled they had reservations about the idea. “In this way, we will do our part to address climate change while protecting jobs and industry competitiveness in Alberta”.
“Coal power in Alberta puts almost as much carbon into the air as all oilsands operations, so the impact of phasing out these massively polluting power plants and shifting to zero-emission power sources is a landmark step that will cut emissions and save lives”.
“That is the reputation that mistaken government policies have earned for us”, she said. “In this we are turning the page on the mistaken policies of the past”.
“Our goal is to become one of the world’s most progressive and forward-looking energy producers”, Notley said in a speech to launch the Climate Leadership Plan.
Environmental groups, including the Pembina Institute, Forest Ethics and Environmental Defence Canada, also endorsed the plan.
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“If this is a truly revenue neutral tax, every dollar raised through new carbon taxes should be made available to industry in order to reinvest into new technology to achieve emission reductions”. “So I think that frankly, the oil and gas industry did very well in this announcement”.
