Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly commits to capping oil and gas sector emissions at the COP26.
Photo Credit: CTV News
The announcement to cap oil and gas emissions came on Monday at the United Nations Climate Change Conference‘s 26th meeting of the Council of Parties (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland.
“We’ll cap oil and gas sector emissions today and ensure they decrease tomorrow at a pace and scale needed to reach net-zero by 2050,” Trudeau said.
The cap was one of the Liberal’s campaign promises in the recent election and has been met with mixed reviews.
Dale Marshall, national climate program manager with Environmental Defence, points out how the cap fails to address the production of oil and gas.
“Focusing on emissions from oil and gas production but not production itself will allow oil and gas companies to keep putting forward false solutions, such as carbon capture and storage, fossil-based hydrogen, and far-off net-zero plans, all while pumping out more and more atmosphere-destroying fossil fuels,” Marshall said.
Photo Credit: Toronto Star
Trudeau has also garnered heat for failing to consult the premier of Alberta, Jason Kenney. Trudeau will need Kenney’s support to make any headway considering Alberta accounts for around 80% of Canada’s oil production.
“I don’t know why they would make an announcement like this without consulting the province that owns the majority of Canada’s oil and gas reserves,” Kenney said. “(The federal government) has zero chance of achieving its greenhouse gas reduction targets without Alberta’s oil and gas industries. Let’s be partners in this.”
Photo Credit: BBC
Under the Paris Agreement, Canada committed to a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 by 2030. Canada’s commitment has since decreased.
In July, Canada submitted to the UN its new target of a 40 to 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 by 2030.
On Tuesday, Canada is also set to sign a major deal that promises to stop deforestation by 2030. The deal presented by a group of world leaders at COP26 will include a significant budget for protecting and restoring forests.
More than 100 countries are projected to sign the deal.