Category Archives: Climate Change

Bill 27: Financial Support for Renewable Electricity

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: Bill 27: Financial Support for Renewable Electricity

Legislation Commented On: Bill 27, Renewable Electricity Act

Report Commented On: AESO, Renewable Electricity Program, Recommendations, dated May 2016, publicly released November 3, 2016

Press Release Commented On: Government of Alberta, Renewable electricity plan to create jobs, spur investment, November 3, 2016

Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan (CLP) of November 2015 has four key planks:

Phasing out emissions from coal-generated electricity and developing more renewable energy
Implementing a new carbon price on greenhouse gas emissions
A legislated oil sands emission limit
Employing a new methane emission reduction plan

The government introduced legislation to implement an economy-wide carbon price in June (the Climate Leadership Implementation Act) and in the resumed session this fall (2016) it introduced first of all Bill 25: The Oil Sands Emission Limit Act to implement the third objective, a legislated oil sands emission limit (I commented on Bill 25 here) followed now by Bill 27, the Renewable Electricity Act to implement the second half of the first plank – developing more renewable energy. We have yet to see the detailed plans for phasing out coal generation. Continue reading →

Oil Sands Emission Limit Legislation: A Real Commitment or Kicking It Down the Road?

By: Nigel Bankes

PDF Version: Oil Sands Emission Limit Legislation: A Real Commitment or Kicking It Down the Road?

Legislation Commented On: Bill 25: The Oil Sands Emission Limit Act

Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan has four key planks:

Phasing out emissions from coal-generated electricity and developing more renewable energy
Implementing a new carbon price on greenhouse gas emissions
A legislated oil sands emission limit
Employing a new methane emission reduction plan

The province introduced legislation to implement an economy-wide carbon price in June (the Climate Leadership Implementation Act) and in the resumed session this fall (2016) it has introduced Bill 25: The Oil Sands Emission Limit Act to implement the third objective, a legislated oil sands emission limit. This was not something that the Leach Report had recommended but here is what the Government said in making this commitment: Continue reading →

Prime Minister Trudeau You’ve Got the Power (the Criminal Law Power): Syncrude Canada Ltd v Canada and Greenhouse Gas Regulation

By: Sharon Mascher

PDF Version: Prime Minister Trudeau You’ve Got the Power (the Criminal Law Power): Syncrude Canada Ltd v Canada and Greenhouse Gas Regulation

Case Commented on: Syncrude Canada Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General), 2016 FCA 160 (CanLII)

On May 30^th Justice Rennie delivered the Federal Court of Appeal’s unanimous judgment in Syncrude Canada Ltd v Canada (Attorney General). At issue in this case was the validity of s 5(2) of the federal Renewable Fuels Regulations, SOR/2010-189 (RFRs) which requires that all diesel fuel produced, imported, or sold in Canada contains at least 2% renewable fuel. While the FCA held that the RFRs are valid, from a climate change perspective this conclusion is not the reason this decision is important. As my colleague Nigel Bankes has noted here, the RFRs represent only “a tiny, tiny step” towards reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Rather, coming as it does on the heels of Canada signing the Paris Agreement and in the midst of talks aimed at developing a pan-Canadian climate change framework, the Syncrude decision is important because the FCA confirms that the federal government can use the criminal law power to regulate GHG emissions. More specifically, given that the RFRs at issue in this case create a flexible scheme that allows for the buying and selling of compliance units to achieve the 2% renewable fuel requirement, the Syncrude decision endorses the use of the criminal law power to support market-based emissions trading schemes or other pricing mechanisms. In short, provided federal regulations are directed at the purpose of reducing GHG emissions, this FCA decision tells the federal government that it has the constitutional power to take action on climate change. Continue reading →

The “Historic” Paris Climate Agreement: What It Means “At Home” for Canada and the Alberta Oil Sands

By: Sharon Mascher

PDF Version: The “Historic” Paris Climate Agreement: What It Means “At Home” for Canada and the Alberta Oil Sands

Matter Commented On: Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

On Saturday December 12, 2015, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared consensus and gavelled the Paris Agreement. While far from perfect, the Agreement is being hailed by many around the world as historic (see for example here, here and here). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is no exception, labeling the agreement “historic, ambitious and balanced” in a Statement issued following the conclusion of the Paris climate conference. The Statement goes on to say “[t]ogether with our international partners, we agreed to strengthen the global response to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius as well as pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees”. This is indeed historic as, in so doing, the international community agreed for the first time to increase the level of ambition beyond the 2°C maximum that has prevailed to date (see COP 16 Decision 1/CP.16). There is now a clear commitment within the Paris Agreement to hold temperatures to well below 2°C, and a more aspirational target to pursue a limit of 1.5 °C.

Continue reading →

Alberta’s New Climate Plan: Can Alberta Be a Model for Texas?

By: James Coleman

PDF Version: Alberta’s New Climate Plan: Can Alberta Be a Model for Texas?

Mater Commented On: Alberta’s Climate Leadership Report

On Monday, Premier Rachel Notley announced Alberta’s new climate plan, which is supported by a detailed report from a panel of experts. The centerpiece of the plan is a $30/tonne price on carbon emissions in Alberta that is implemented through a modified tax dubbed a “carbon competitiveness regulation.” The plan also includes more targeted measures aimed at phasing out coal power, boosting renewable power, lowering methane emissions, and capping emissions from the oil sands.

The most important question about Alberta’s regulation is whether it will encourage other jurisdictions to follow suit. Alberta’s carbon emissions are just under 1% of the global total so it cannot do much to slow climate change by itself. But if Alberta can make stringent carbon regulations work in an energy-producing economy, it could stand as an important example for other energy producing jurisdictions.

As a result, Alberta’s plan may be the most important climate announcement of the year. To achieve the world’s climate goals, major energy producers around the world will have to lower their carbon emissions. But Texas and North Dakota or, for that matter, Russia and Saudi Arabia, aren’t looking to California or Europe for inspiration on climate policy. They will, however, be watching to see whether Alberta’s plan works out.