Source: LifeSiteNews.com
Alberta has officially rejected the Liberal government’s oil and gas emission cap, saying it would cripple Canada’s economy.
On February 5, Alberta Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz published an open letter to Liberal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, warning him that Alberta will not be enforcing the proposed oil and gas regulations.
“This cap is not realistic or effective, will not achieve its grandiose emissions targets, and will not be tolerated in Alberta,” said Schulz.
“Albertans will not accept this cap or the attack on its constitutional jurisdiction, economy, and citizens that the cap represents,” Alberta wrote in a 24-page response accompanying Schulz’s letter.
Alberta has officially submitted our response on the federal governments plan to Cap Oil and Gas production.
Read my letter to Minister Guilbeault and our full submission here 👇https://t.co/rTvtV6kQf6… pic.twitter.com/AFSJoOj3KF
— Rebecca Schulz (@rebeccakschulz) February 5, 2024
The Liberal government’s Regulatory Framework to Cap Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions draft, published in December, aims to severely limit gas and oil emissions by 2030 to make a net-zero goal by 2050 possible.
However, Alberta pointed out that the proposed regulations are unconstitutional, unrealistic, would prove detrimental to Canada’s economy, and would not necessarily reduce emissions worldwide.
“[The cap] clearly violates Section 92A of the Constitution Act, 1867,” the Alberta government said, referring to a provision in the Constitution protecting provincial jurisdiction over natural resources.
Alberta further revealed that the projected targets are based on outdated data from 2019 and are not realistic given Alberta’s oil and gas production.
Additionally, Alberta warned that the proposed emission regulations “could devastate the economy, lead to massive job losses and hurt the financial well-being of millions of Canadians – all without yielding the intended emissions reduction.”
“The federal government’s proposed Regulatory Framework for an Oil and Gas Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap represents a de facto production cap on Alberta’s and Canada’s oil and gas sector,” the province continued.
According to research from the Conference Board of Canada, the federal cap would reduce Canada’s GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040. This could cause up to 151,000 Canadians to lose their jobs by 2030.
Additionally, the loss of Alberta production would affect the federal government’s revenue, which is projected to be reduced by between $84 and $151 billion between 2030 and 2040. During the same time, Alberta’s revenue is expected to drop by $73 and $127 billion, while employee earnings across Canada would decrease by $460 billion.
Alberta also pointed out that the Liberal government’s plan does not necessarily mean less emissions, as other, less environmentally responsible countries will have to produce more oil to meet the demand….