Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Alberta Premier Smith Seek Common Ground on Climate and Energy Policies in Calgary Visit
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Alberta Premier Smith Seek Common Ground on Climate and Energy Policies in Calgary Visit
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| Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau and Alberta Premier Smith(Image-Getty) |
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed their hopes for finding common ground on climate and energy policies during Trudeau's visit to Calgary, the country's oil capital. The visit coincided with the start of the city's annual Stampede event, a celebration of rodeo and Western cowboy culture.
Trudeau, a Liberal Prime Minister, and Smith, the leader of the United Conservative Party, have had disagreements over federal climate policies, particularly related to proposed oil and gas emissions caps and clean electricity regulations.
In a joint statement before their bilateral meeting, Smith expressed the desire to align Alberta's emissions reduction and energy development plan, which aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, with the federal government's objectives. They discussed the possibility of establishing a working group to achieve a net-zero power grid, a goal set by Ottawa for 2035, but which Alberta considers unrealistic.
The meeting also addressed topics such as the oil and gas emissions cap and Article 6 of the Paris Climate Accord. Article 6 would enable Canadian provinces to obtain credits for reducing emissions abroad by displacing coal with liquefied natural gas exports, as outlined by Smith.
Trudeau's government has committed to reducing Canada's emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, achieving this goal will be challenging without significant decarbonization efforts in Alberta, which is home to the oil sands and a significant portion of Canada's fossil fuel industry, making it the highest-emitting province.
Trudeau emphasized the positive and constructive working relationship between his ministers and their counterparts in Alberta, acknowledging that there are still many issues to address and work through.
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