Climate change plan by June 30
NDP promises greenhouse gas strategy coming
Alberta will have a new provincial climate change strategy by the end of the month, says new Environment Minister Shannon Phillips.
Phillips told reporters she will deliver the much- delayed program to tackle greenhouse gas emissions before the current legislation expires June 30.
“Absolutely,” she confirmed after NDP MLAs participated in a swearingin ceremony at the Alberta legislature Monday in preparation for a throne speech June 15. “That’s what Albertans asked for.”
Alberta’s current policy, which puts a $ 15- per- tonne levy on heavy carbon emitters, was to have expired last December, but the deadline was extended six months by the former PC government. At one point the Alison Redford regime considered doubling the carbon levy, but successor Jim Prentice appeared to back away from the idea.
Environmentalists said doubling the levy would be a start, but it needs to be increased dramatically to change behaviour, and more stringent emission reduction targets are also required.
Phillips wouldn’t say if her government will increase the carbon levy.
“We’re looking at our options right now,” she said.
But she said the NDP will deliver a long- awaited energy efficiency program as part of the strategy.
“We’re still waiting — and fairly soon we won’t be waiting any more,” said the minister from Lethbridge- West. “We are moving. We made a commitment in the platform and we’re moving forward on fleshing out some of those options right now.”
“It doesn’t matter what the economic circumstances are, we still need to be mindful of how our actions have an impact on the Alberta economy,” she said.
Phillips committed to a “very fulsome consultation process” despite the looming deadline.
Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig- Boyd said she is meeting Phillips this week to discuss the strategy, but the timing is in her colleague’s hands.
Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose official Opposition, expressed concern the environment minister might be rushing too fast to meet the deadline.
“I don’t know how she expects to get all this done within a month,” he said. “Without consulting properly all the stakeholders, you could end up with a disaster.”
Jean said he didn’t think implementing tough new rules for emitters was the right thing to do during a recession.
“Now is not the right time for risky ideas to be rushed through without consultation,” he added.
Liberal Leader David Swann said he is “tempted to be excited” about Phillips’ new strategy.
He said it was apparent the PC government had no real appetite for doing anything that would upset industry, but he was concerned about the short timeline.
“There’s a fine line between prioritizing policy and rushing policy, and I am skeptical the new minister has had sufficient time in eight days to consult with industry and stakeholders and get it right,” he said. “This is a complex issue.”
Alberta Party Leader Greg Clark said a climate change strategy is important, but it is critical the new NDP government take the time to get it right.
“If they get it wrong, we will unduly burden industry with higher costs and not actually solve climate change,” he said.
Greenpeace campaigner Mike Hudema said he hoped the Alberta government takes action to ensure the country’s most polluting province does its share to combat a growing climate crisis.
The key question for Alberta is whether its new climate policy will actually reduce greenhouse gases and tackle emissions from the oilsands, he said.
“We need actual reductions — not just to slow the increase,” Hudema said.
Chris Severson- Baker, Pembina Institute Alberta director, said he is happy to see the strategy has a high priority, but he also advised caution against proceeding too quickly.
He noted a lot of work has been done on the strategy at the bureaucrat level in recent years, but the previous government wasn’t willing to implement it.
“Taking a more consultative approach would definitely be better than the one the previous government was taking,” he said.