Canada steps up on climate

Canada’s most populous province, Ontario, said on Tuesday it would aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, although it offered only hints of how it hopes to slow climate change.

Some provinces have started tackling the issue themselves with carbon taxes or carbon pricing programs and do not like the idea of Ottawa imposing a national goal. Unless the rest of the world also goes to that higher price, having Alberta do so would not work with our economy and would not necessarily reduce global emissions.

That status has prompted fierce opposition from environmental groups to proposed pipelines that would allow the industry to access new markets, including the recently rejected Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by TransCanada.

Additionally, there’s been increasing pressure to halt oil sands production for climate reasons.

The companies agree that this is a historic development for Alberta and Canada that will change the conversation about climate change, oil sands and infrastructure. Under the new plan, polluting coal-fired electricity plants will be shut down and replaced with clean renewable energy (with a target of 30 per cent of Alberta’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030).

But the government has changed, and in Alberta at least tar sands extractors will meet some tough times. He told InsideClimate News that the new climate strategy is a “tremendous step” in this direction. The expert panel suggests that this rebate be based on what the average homeowner spends on the tax – if you make less than average, youll get back more than you pay.

What are the key components?

They are pledging to make a change to alternative sources of energy, where two-thirds of the province’s power would eventually be provided by renewable energy sources such as wind power and natural gas.

Note, too, that the Alberta version of the carbon tax is slated to bring in more than twice as much revenue as its B.C. counterpart – about $3 billion a year when the rate hits $30 a tonne starting in January 2018, versus the $1.3 billion in proceeds collected at the same emissions threshold here in B.C. now. There’s also a limit on emissions from the province’s oil sands industry.

“We are all now working together to realize the full value provided by the oil and natural gas industry, including jobs, economic benefits and government revenues in a way that addresses the challenges associated with climate change”. Increases continue. Output is growing by another 800,000 b/d by 2020 at new projects and expansions of old ones where construction began before the current oil price slump.

Mark Jaccard, economist at B.C.s Simon Fraser University and one of the creators of B.C.s carbon tax, disagreed. “That is the reputation that mistaken government policy in the past has earned for us”. The resulting recommendations were published last week and an outline of Alberta’s climate policy was revealed soon after.

Students asked Notley about the possibilities for jobs in the future green energy sector, consultations with First Nations, the technology needed for more renewable energy generation, and how to shift attitudes about climate change.

“What we’re really seeing is an opportunity to see what happens from the bottom up”, said Kalee Kreider, special adviser on climate change for the foundation, during a media briefing in advance of the conference.