Alberta fights emissions reductions

Canada’s premiers presented fiercely opposing positions Wednesday on how to tackle climate change, with energy-rich Newfoundland banding with Alberta to fight aggressive emissions-reduction proposals from provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.

Several leaders insisted on the first day of the annual premiers conference that absolute emissions reductions and a national carbon trading market need to be implemented in Canada — suggestions that don’t fly with the Alberta government.
Premier Ed Stelmach, who last week warned his counterparts not to “mess with Alberta,” said in an interview Wednesday that premiers are duping Canadians if they sign an overly aggressive climate change pact that can’t be achieved and fails to document the economic fallout.

“We just cannot mislead Canadians and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do’ without, at the same time, telling them what the impact would be,” Stelmach said.

“So if the impact is loss of jobs and substantial loss of the GDP, we have to be upfront and tell them that or be a bit more pragmatic and do it over a longer period of time.”

Stelmach has steadfast support on the issue from Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, who said premiers “need to strike a balance” and that Ontario proposals for absolute reductions may be too much, too soon.

“I don’t think we should overreact,” Williams said in an interview. “There is a need for action, but I don’t believe in running with undue haste that could hurt (the economy) down the road.”

Calgary Herald