Canada is Ready to be a Leader Again on Climate Change

But a Google News search quickly reveals a number of opposing views, not unlike those aired in Australia when the Gillard government’s now-defunct “carbon tax” was first implemented.

Notley must still unveil full details about how much space each company would get in a proposed 100 million ton annual cap on oil sands carbon emissions – an increase of about 40 percent above current annual emissions – as well as incentives to eliminate pollution from coal-fired power plants by 2030.

“Alberta is leading again”, Ms. Notley told a room of supporters at Edmonton’s science centre.

In sum, some government officials said some very, very nice words about climate change today. The change in policy direction in Alberta is long overdue, critical to our national efforts and welcome news for everyone concerned about climate change.

These are the same oilsands, of course, that were to have supplied the 850,000 barrel per day Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta to Texas – a highly controversial project that US President Barack Obama scuppered, when he announced earlier this month that it “would not serve the national interest of the United States”.

Energy leaders had previously warned any onerous new costs would be disastrous for an industry under severe financial pressure.

But Shell’s Mitchelmore and the other energy CEOs are seeing the bigger picture.

CEO Brian Ferguson and even Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. chairman Murray Edwards, who had been among the sharpest critics of the NDP’s economic policies, stood with Ms. Notley and environmental groups to endorse the moves.

Canada can become a world leader on climate action through a united commitment to technology and innovation, and continuing to develop its oil and natural gas sector responsibly to provide the energy the world needs, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP).

Though Alberta and Ontario make up the lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, the provinces have been on entirely different trajectories over the last decade.

Environment Canada says in 2013, the oil and gas economic sector accounted for 179 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or 25 per cent of total emissions. The plan includes a tax on carbon emissions of $20 per tonne starting on January 1, 2017, increasing to $30 per tonne in 2018. Equal to seven cents per litre of gasoline, the average household will see heating and transportation costs increase by $470 annually by 2018.

Alberta’s government has indicated that it expects wind energy to be the primary source of this new renewable energy generation.

TransAlta Corp., the largest coal-fired power generator, said it was heartened by the gradual shift that it said would “ensure system reliability and price stability” for customers. The province is appointing a negotiator to work with the industry as it tries to avoid stranding capital, or the loss of asset value by hastily rendering plants useless.

“It was one of the best consultations that I’ve seen, actually”, she said of the climate change panel’s review, headed by University of Alberta economist Andrew Leach. Beyond that, the Star says Canada’s government will then likely turn its attention to working with provinces, many of whom has already outlined their own plans to deal with climate change.

“The oil-sands emissions limit will give the world certainty that our emissions will not grow unchecked”.

Some of the money will also be used to compensate certain industries and low-income residents affected by the forthcoming climate change policy, the provincial government has pledged.

Kudos were not universal, however.