On March 20th, the leader of Albertas Premier Rachel Notley announced a provincial election on April 16th 2019. Bow Valley Climate Action will try to ensure that voters know what the parties are offering regarding reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. Below you can find a comparison what the major parties policies are in this area.
Carbon Pricing
The current NDP government introduced the Carbon Competitiveness Incentive Regulation (CCIR) which replaced the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (SGER) on Jan 1, 2018.
NDP
- $30 per tonne CO2e carbon tax on transportation and heating fuel
- 100% of the revenues recycled back into the Alberta economy:
- Carbon levy rebates to middle, and lower income Albertans
- Transit projects
- Flood prevention infrastructure
- Upgrades at schools, universities, hospitals, and colleges for projects that cut operating costs and emissions
- Energy Efficiency Alberta programs
- Maintain the Carbon Competitiveness Incentive Regulation (CCIR)
UCP
- Repeal Carbon tax
- Replace CCIR, with “Specified Gas Emitter Regulation (SGER)‐like” program
Alberta Party
- Exemptions from carbon tax for:
- Business
- Farms
- Households
- non-profits
- Revenue- neutral carbon tax**
Innovative Technology
NDP
- Energy Innovation Fund
- $1.4 billion over 7 years for innovation projects
- Use CCIR to provide Emissions Reduction Alberta with $80 million in core funding and a further $92.5 million for additional initiatives
UCPN
- First $100 million of TIER revenues to technologies to reduce GHG emissions
Alberta Party
- Increase Alberta Innovates budget by 30 per cent to $375 million by 2021*****
Electricity Generation
NDP
- Generate 30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030
- End pollution from coal-generated electricity by 2030
UCP
- End all subsidies for renewable power generation
- return to energy-only market
- stop coal phase-out and require high emission standards
Alberta Party
- Support for “green electricity”**
- Enable Alberta’s Micro Power Producers through a review of existing micro- generation legislation with the goal of simplifying the application and permitting process
- Create a fiscal environment to promote a Smart Grid, and conduct full and detailed stakeholder engagements to ensure Smart Grid policy.**
Energy Efficiency
NDP
- Energy Efficiency Alberta Program ($124M from carbon tax): financial incentives, financing, and rebates for individuals (~$540 annually for a family of 4) and businesses to improve their energy efficiency and become energy generators
UCP
- Full audit of Energy Efficiency Alberta Program (and end the carbon tax-funded programs)
- Possible appeal of Energy Efficiency Alberta
- More free emissions credits biggest polluters
Alberta Party
Currently no Policies
Oilsands and Methane
NDP
- Supports market access through pipelines
- Reduce methane emissions by 45% from 2014 levels by 2025 and achieve the same equivalent reductions as the federal government’s methane regulations.
- Develop regulations for the 100MT Oil Sands Emissions Limit (OSEL)
- Maintain the $440 million Oil Sands Innovation Fund
- amendments to Bill C-69
UCP
- Supports market access through pipelines
- Cancel railcar lease with CN and CP, explore new methods of moving oil to ocean ports
- Stop Bill C-69 that creates the new Impact Assessment Agency of Canada*****
- End 100 MT Oil Sands Emissions Limit
Alberta Party
- Supports market access through pipelines
- Encourage the transition to an increasingly decarbonized energy system, shift from centralized fossil fuel based sources to localized renewable energy sources**
Transportation
NDP
- Funds from carbon tax going to community transit initiatives such as funding for ROAM and community walkability such as Banff Bow River bridge ****
- Alberta Community Transit Fund provides $215 million in funding over 5 years for transit projects, $115 million of which is from Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan.
- Provincial Public Transportation Strategy to support the Climate Leadership Plan under development
UCP
Currently no Policies
Alberta Party
- Support for transit through infrastructure funding**
Land use
NDP
- Create Kitaskino Nuwenene Wildland, a preserve of 160,000 hectares south of Wood Buffalo National Park (buffer zone between oilsands projects and Wood Buffalo NP; preserve traditional Indigenous land uses)
UCP
- Increase funding for the Alberta Land Trust Grant Program for conservation projects by 50 per cent
- Create pre-approved land corridors moving east-west and north in the Arctic to expedite resource project approvals*****
Alberta Party
- Renew the Water for Life Strategy with a focus on the impacts of Climate Change on Alberta’s water supply
- Assess the risks posed by climate change on areas that are at risk of drought or flooding
Sources
- *Alberta Party 2018-2019 Shadow Budget
- **Alberta Party member-passed policies (current as of Oct 2018)
- ***UCP policy declaration 2018
- ****Rocky Mountain Outlook
- *****CBC Promise Tracker