The Trudeau government has set “ambitious” targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will invest tens of billions of dollars to achieve them. However, it will not be able to impose a limit on the production of the oil and gas industry, affirms the federal Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault. The Canadian Constitution simply does not allow Ottawa to do so, he said, days before a decision on his part on the Bay du Nord oil megaproject.
“Constitutionally, the production and use of natural resources is under provincial jurisdiction. Where we can intervene is on pollution. The Supreme Court reaffirmed this in the judgment on carbon pricing. So, we intervene where we can intervene, in our fields of competence, ”he argued on Friday, as part of a meeting organized in Montreal and attended by The duty, The Press and Radio Canada.
As part of the new Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by 2030, the Trudeau government has set itself the goal of reducing emissions from oil and gas operations by 42%, compared to at the 2019 level. As the federal government cannot act on production, it has chosen to bet on increasing the carbon tax, which rose to $50 per ton on Friday and which should reach $170 in 2030. More regulations severe methane emissions should also make it possible to reduce GHGs, in addition to the imposition of a “ceiling” on the sector’s emissions, which remains to be specified in the coming months.
Steven Guilbeault also believes that the Liberal measures are radical in the Canadian context. “It is quite radical, for one of the largest oil and gas producing countries in the world, to say: we already have one of the most severe carbon pricing and we will be, by 2030, among the States where the price on pollution will be the highest,” he argued.
“So I think we are showing a lot of ambition, but I agree with those who say we have to do more and go faster. I think the plan we presented this week does exactly that,” the minister added.
Oil exploitation
Passing by the Maison du développement durable to meet with environmental and civil society groups, Mr. Guilbeault was arrested by young demonstrators demanding the rejection of the Bay du Nord oil megaproject. The Trudeau government is expected to announce in the coming days whether it will authorize the exploitation of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil over the next decades, in the marine environment, off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. The area targeted by the Norwegian oil company Equinor is also recognized for its rich biodiversity.
“The fires, floods and heat waves that we are experiencing in Canada are only the beginning of the devastating effects of climate change. Bay du Nord will produce up to a billion barrels of oil, further contributing to this crisis. We need a just transition, not another oil project,” argued Shirley Barnea, Co-spokesperson for the group Pour le Futur Montréal.
Steven Guilbeault has agreed to meet with representatives of the demonstrators, repeating to them that the decision has not yet been taken. “As an environmental activist from a young age, I applaud these young people for their commitment and dedication. The voice of youth must be an important part of public discourse,” he later said in a written statement.
Without commenting on the Bay du Nord project during the meeting with the media, the Minister underlined that the International Energy Agency forecasts a daily world consumption of 25 million barrels of oil in 2050, at a time when countries must, however, have achieved carbon neutrality to avoid climate disaster.
The Canadian oil industry also hopes to be able to meet some of the demand. Newfoundland notably wishes to double production in the marine environment after 2030, to reach 235 million barrels per year. “Whether we produce more or less, what is important, in terms of the atmosphere, are the emissions,” Minister Guilbeault put into perspective on Friday.
Beyond the fossil fuel sector, which is currently the largest emitter in the country, the Trudeau government wants to transform the transportation sector through electrification and the development of public transportation. “I don’t think that the electrification of transport is the solution, but it is part of the solutions. That’s why we’re investing $30 billion in public transit,” said the federal Minister of the Environment.
The latter also said he wanted to transform the discourse around the fight against the climate crisis. “The fear of the impacts of climate change has led to a certain paralysis. People see it as something too big. I think we haven’t given enough access to the benefits of climate action. I don’t think it’s a sacrifice to have cities with less pollution and more public transport, where there will be more active transport infrastructure. You have to show people that you can do it and you have to give them hope that you can do it. »