The government of Alberta’s United Conservative Party has released a new climate plan that it hopes will take the province to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, the plan contains few details, targets, or new measures on how the government intends to achieve this goal. Environment Minister Sonya Savage has promised a package of commissions, committees, and studies to determine what needs to be done.
The province faces huge carbon challenges, with the latest federal inventory indicating that Alberta produces about 38% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions with only 11% of its population. It will be tough for Canada to meet its international climate commitments unless Alberta figures out how to address those challenges.
The plan describes past measures the province has taken to reduce its emissions and celebrates successes such as its renewable electricity boom. However, for future successes, it will look to previously touted technologies such as carbon capture and storage, as well as the suggestions of a promised round of consultations and studies.
The plan contains no interim targets for reductions, spending, or investment, despite the daunting task of scaling up carbon capture to do more than store the small fraction of Alberta’s emissions it currently sequesters. Nor does the plan propose regulation or legislation to move the province toward net-zero.
Opposition parties and clean energy experts have criticized the plan for lacking urgency and specific rules. The New Democrats have pledged for a net-zero electricity grid by 2035 and tax credits for investment in clean technologies. Meanwhile, Pathways Alliance, which represents companies behind more than 95% of Canada’s oilsands production, welcomed the announcement, saying a co-ordinated approach with the federal government and industry is needed to achieve emissions reduction goals.
Overall, the plan has been described by some as “a plan to make a plan.” While the government has shown a willingness to soften its former opposition to green measures, more specific and actionable policies are needed to achieve the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.