Trudeau hails Alberta’s ‘fresh’ climate strategy
Prime minister to present ambitious plan at Paris climate talks next week
Alberta’s new carbon tax made a splash on the national stage Monday, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praising the plan while Premier Rachel Notley promised a “new era of co-operation” on the issue of climate change.
On Sunday, Notley’s NDP government announced an ambitious provincial climate change strategy that includes a broad-based carbon tax, accelerated phase-out of coalfired electrical generation and a 100-megatonne cap on greenhouse gas emissions from Alberta’s oilsands.
The plan came out just ahead of Monday’s meeting of premiers with Trudeau in Ottawa, which was intended to prepare Canada’s position for the United Nations’ climate change summit that begins next week in Paris.
At an event with students and other premiers before the first ministers meeting, Trudeau introduced Notley and hailed the province’s “fresh and new” approach.
“We just had a strong signal yesterday about how Canadians right across the country are looking to step up and do their part in the fight against climate change,” the prime minister said.
“Premier Rachel Notley stepped up and unveiled Alberta’s plan. ... It was a historic moment and it was a strong positive step in the right direction.”
Notley said Alberta understood its “unique responsibility” on climate issues, given the province has the third-largest oil reserves in the world. Alberta is also the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the country.
“We are going to do our part to address one of the world’s greatest problems,” she said.
“We are here in Ottawa today ready to roll up our sleeves and get down to work in a new era of co-operation on these issues with other provinces and with the government of Canada.”
Notley said she welcomed “a new tone and a new substance” in dealing with Trudeau.
Alberta’s position drew applause from other premiers whose governments have taken an aggressive stance on greenhouse gas reductions, including Quebec’s Phillipe Couillard and British Columbia’s Christy Clark.
Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne said Alberta’s move is “extremely important” because it means Canada now has a united front on climate change.
“With a making this very strong statement of their direction, I think that we go now to Paris ... with a very strong story to tell,” Wynne said.
In a statement, Wynne praised Notley for winning high-profile support from the oilpatch for the province’s climate program and noted Alberta’s climate plan helps pave the way for progress on issues such as pipelines.
The climate change blueprint has attracted strong attacks from the opposition Wildrose, who deride the carbon pricing model as a “tax on everything” that will gouge regular Albertans, and it has raised fears in the coal industry about shuttered mines and lost jobs.
“At no point did the NDP campaign on bringing in a massive new tax to be paid for by every single Albertan,” Wildrose Leader Brian Jean said Monday in a statement.
But the NDP government stitched together both environmental organizations and major energy industry players in support of the plan.
Alberta’s strategy is being sold not only as the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but as means of building support to access new markets for the province’s landlocked oilsands crude.