Canadian province to implement carbon tax

The Albertan announcement was welcomed by the new Canadian federal government with Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, calling it a “strong, positive step in the right direction”. The province will completely phase out coal power by 2030, and place a $20 per ton tax on carbon emissions beginning in 2017, which will increase to $30 per ton in January of 2018.

Some provinces, such as Alberta and British Columbia, announced their plans for carbon taxes, while Ontario and Quebec announced their own initiatives, but Selinger said Manitoba is being heard in the discussions.

Flanked by oil industry executives and representatives from Native American and environmental groups, Ms. Notley said the new levies would be “revenue neutral” to offset other taxes, and that some funds will be set aside to research energy technologies.

Notley is meeting with other premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa Monday, it’s expected the meeting will focus on climate change.

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. Alberta is also vowing to cut methane gas emissions by 45 percent by 2025.

“Wind energy is one of the most cost-competitive ways to generate new electricity in Alberta and Alberta is wise to draw on its tremendous wind energy resources to help replace coal-fired electricity in the province”, he said. “Alberta is showing leadership on one of the world’s biggest problems”.

All those good intentions might not exactly be paving a road to hell but the devil will certainly be in the details that will follow after Paris, when Trudeau will have to mediate conflicting provincial interests to hammer out a national climate change strategy.

The premiers also sought – and received – Trudeau’s reassurances that the influx of 25,000 refugees from Syria would be handled with Canadians’ security top of mind.

“More renewable energy in Alberta will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean the air, and produce significant new investment and jobs – particularly in rural areas of the province”.

In his meetings in Turkey, Trudeau delivered an “impassioned” speech emphasizing the link between economic growth and fighting climate change, the official said.

“I think that ultimately we’ll be able to manage this in a way that encourages reduced use of high-emission activities, while at the same time ensuring we don’t put an unnecessary burden on families”, said Notley.

In two instances, the climate change panel’s report suggests the province’s royalty review panel will account for the additional costs of the carbon taxes when recommending how to change royalties charged to oil and gas companies in Alberta. “We will do our part to address climate change while protecting jobs and industry competitiveness”, he said, speaking on behalf of the province’s top oil-sands producers.

“There is a direct link between the burning of coal and asthma exacerbations, hospital admissions, and untimely deaths, not to mention climate change”.