Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) tried to keep Saskatchewan in the dark on Ottawa’s production cap announced by the feds in Dubai.
Premier Scott Moe confirmed in a video posted to X that he received no details in advance on their plan to regulate the oil and gas sector.
“Our energy minister had a five-minute phone call with [Guilbeault’s] counterpart,” he said. “[They] would not only share none of the details with respect to the policy that was coming forward but wouldn’t even share the date or the time on when they were going to announce.”
On December 7, Canada announced plans to cut oil and gas emissions by one-third amid their scheme to avoid consultations with provincial partners.
Moe told reporters December 9 that Ottawa has been uncooperative on the environment, contending the “minister of environment is refusing […] to work with the provinces.”
A reporter asked me why I’m not trying harder to work with the Trudeau government.
Here was my answer. pic.twitter.com/phhcqyC5rh— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) December 9, 2023
Ottawa’s attempt to curb oil and gas production includes an emissions target between 35% to 38% below 2019 levels by 2030. According to the regulatory framework, it expects to cut emissions from oil sand operations and methane by 20 and 37 megatonnes respectively.
It is part of a 2021 election campaign promise to reduce emissions by 40% to 45% across all sectors during that period.
“Unlike almost every other sector of our economy, pollution from the oil and gas sector is still going up,” said federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. “No one should be allowed unlimited pollution. It harms our health and environment.”
On December 8, Alberta also scoffed at signing a non-disclosure agreement to view details on the cap.
Bewildered by the bizarre request, Alberta’s Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz took to X to voice her concerns. “He wouldn’t talk about his plans or entertain any discussions unless Alberta signed an NDA,” she said, calling the request “wildly disrespectful.”
A few days ago in Dubai at #COP28, I asked Minister @s_guilbeault to hold bilateral talks on any emission cap plans the federal government had forthcoming.
He wouldn’t talk about his plans or entertain any discussions unless Alberta signed an NDA…
Very odd.
1/3 👇 pic.twitter.com/xNEGsPXyxf
— Rebecca Schulz (@rebeccakschulz) December 8, 2023
Environment Canada told the Epoch Times it is “not unusual” to ask provincial and territorial governments to sign NDAs before a formal announcement.
“The Government of Canada has engaged extensively with provinces, territories, Indigenous organizations and stakeholders on the development of the approach for the oil and gas emissions cap including through bilateral and multilateral engagement, and the publication of a discussion paper for comment in July 2022,” said ECCC spokesperson Hannah Boonstra in an email statement.
“It continues to do so, with the publication of the Regulatory Framework initiating the latest phase of engagement,” she added.
As part of the framework, the emissions cap-and-trade system also permits oil and gas companies to purchase carbon credits to lower their emission target to between 20% and 23%.
This is a developing story.