Alberta’s United Conservative Party has released an aspirational environmental plan which aspires to carbon neutrality by 2050.
The plan was outlined by Environment Minister Sonya Savage, who said it didn’t contain “random targets” because the government is still studying what’s achievable.
“We have an aspiration to get to net zero,” she said last week. “Albertans want results, they don’t necessarily want targets and especially targets that aren’t aren’t achievable.”
Savage said the plan includes actions like modernizing the electricity system to help keep energy secure and affordable and enabling a lower emissions electricity grid.
She said the government plans to achieve results by supporting the development of new technologies to green and diversify electricity, like carbon capture projects. She also touted advancements in hydrogen, small modular nuclear reactors, geothermal, renewables, and energy storage systems.
The government will also form a new committee of Indigenous people and youth.
“Emissions reduction and energy development plan is the next chapter in a long history of environmental leadership in Alberta,” Savage said. “It will build a thriving economy while cutting emissions. It will guide Alberta on its path to becoming an even stronger and more prominent global leader in emissions reductions, innovation and technology, and sustainable resource development.”
Savage said the plan doesn’t include interim reductions targets, proposed regulation or legislation because background work on achievable targets is ongoing. She said Alberta wants to examine the provincial economy sector by sector.
“The question isn’t whether you legislate the targets,” she said. “It’s about having realistic pathways to get there and providing the supportive policies.”
Notably, the plan does not include a provincial carbon tax, though Alberta is still subject to the federal carbon tax.
Former premier and NDP leader Rachel Notley introduced a carbon tax in 2015. The federal carbon tax did not take effect until 2017.
Kris Sims, Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, says carbon taxes have been making people poorer in Canada since 2008 while failing to reduce emissions. Sims also said Notley’s NDP government was wrong to impose a carbon tax on Albertans in 2017 and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is wrong to impose a federal one.
“Albertans are about $700 poorer this year because of the carbon tax, even with the rebates factored in,” she said.
“If governments want to try to reduce emissions by using better technologies, that’s up to them, but they can’t keep slapping people with a carbon tax because it’s just a tax grab that makes everyday life more expensive for people.”
Opposition New Democrat environment critic Marlin Schmidt said the UCP plan lacks credibility.
“By their own admission, this so-called plan is purely aspirational, does not set firm targets, lacks accountability and relies on technology that is yet to be deployed,” he said.
The NDP have pledged a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 and tax credits for investment in clean technologies.
