Premiers prep for climate meeting, their first with PM since 2009

CTVnews.ca
Nov. 12, 2015
By Josh Dehaas

View video link: http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=749247

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited Canada’s 10 premiers and three territorial leaders to a meeting in Ottawa on Nov. 23, roughly one week before they will head to Paris for a global conference on climate change.

The meeting will be the first between the first ministers and a prime minister since Stephen Harper hosted a round-table on the economy in January 2009.

At the top of the agenda will be a discussion of “the kind of strong and cohesive message we will be delivering as Canadians in Paris at the very important COP21 conference,” Trudeau said.

COP21 is the first major UN-sponsored climate change conference since the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, where Canada committed to reducing emissions 17 per cent by 2020 - a target experts agree the country will not meet.
Provincial premiers have long expressed disagreements on how to tackle climate change.

Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said Thursday that he is optimistic the meeting with Trudeau will help the premiers find “common ground” ahead of Paris.

“Every province will have its own approach on this and that is to be expected in a federation,” Selinger told CTV Power Play.

“But the major point is that we find a way forward together and show that we’re collaborating and cooperating.”

Selinger suggested opportunities for reducing emissions can be found while creating “green jobs” in transportation, agriculture and in flood mitigation.

“Incentives will be important,” he added. “Particularly if the province is under some economic stress.”

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said of the meeting that “dialogue is a good thing,” but that she is concerned the climate policies could hurt the economy.

“There’s a lot of folks here in Calgary that are concerned about the economy, that are out of work,” she told Power Play.

“The word ‘green jobs’ can be code for killing jobs in the energy sector,” she added.

Quebec and Ontario have agreed on a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions, British Columbia has had a carbon tax since 2008, and Alberta is currently reviewing its options.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in October that energy efficiency and reducing the amount of coal burned for electricity could be part of its solution.

Notley promised her province’s climate policy would ensure “sustainable and economically healthy growth” in the energy sector, which has recently faced a wave of job cuts due to dropping oil prices.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said in October that he sees Trudeau’s approach as “positive,” but that he wants to make sure “whatever Canada is committing to doesn’t kneecap our economy in the west.”

The federal government has not publicly announced a target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said recently that the Conservative’s policy of a 30 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030 should be considered “the floor.”