Alberta files formal response to proposed oilsands emissions cap

Alberta says a federal emissions cap on greenhouse gases “will not be tolerated” as the province’s environment minister meets today with her federal counterpart.

Alberta’s formal response to Ottawa’s proposal says the cap would undercut the work that the province has been successfully pursuing “for decades” to reduce emissions. 

The response says oilsands production has already risen above the forecasts that were used to establish the proposed 100-megatonne limit.   

It says the technology needed to bring emissions down enough doesn’t yet exist. 

The document repeats arguments that Ottawa’s plan violates the Constitution.

Alberta is one of the few places in North America with rising greenhouse gas emissions, and recently set a record for production from the oilsands. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2024.

The Canadian Press