Al Gore Responds To Alberta’s Climate Change Announcement

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is set to unveil the province’s climate change strategy this afternoon.

“Alberta is going to stop being the problem and instead we will be the solution”, said Notley at Sunday’s announcement.

Among the highlights, Notley says the government will legislate an overall oilsands emissions limit, and will grow the economy by applying technology to reduce carbon output per barrel.

Highlights of the plan include phasing out all pollution created by burning coal and transitioning to more renewable energy and natural gas by 2030.

A carbon tax will start at $20 a tonne of greenhouse gases in 2017 and rise to $30 a tonne by 2018.

The unusual Sunday briefing comes the day before Notley meets with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other provincial and territorial leaders in Ottawa to discuss a national climate change plan and a week prior to a major global climate conference in Paris. “It will help us access new markets for our energy products and diversify our economy with renewable energy and energy efficiency technology”. The tar sands have been the fastest growing source of emissions in Canada.

Revenue generated from the climate change policy would be invested into clean energy research and green infrastructure. But he said they would allow innovation and growth in the oil industry to continue while also addressing climate change.

The oil sands are often criticized by environmental groups since the industry requires vast amounts of energy and water for production, exceeding pollution from more conventional sources of oil.

Notley promised to work in co-operation with companies that generate, regulate and distribute electricity in Alberta to help east the burden of their transition away from coal, and she also pledged to make sure power prices remain stable for consumers.

For its part, the Pembina Institute applauded the 45 per cent target for the reduction of oil and gas methane emissions by 2025.

“This plan recognises the need for balance between the environment and the economy – one that should provide greater flexibility for the industry and the province on a go-forward basis”, said Murray Edwards, chair of Canadian Natural.