Canada's oil, gas emissions cap may wait until 2023, leaving climate plan hole
CTV
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector will not be ready until late this year or early 2023, the environment minister said on Tuesday, leaving a major hole in an emissions reduction plan due to be released by the government this month.
Oil and gas production is Canada's highest-emitting industry and a main focus of Trudeau's goal of chopping emissions by 40% to 45% by 2030, based on 2005 levels.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told Reuters that Ottawa needs more time to consult with industry, unions, environmental groups and the provinces to sort out what mechanism it will use to cap and then cut oil and gas emissions.
"On the oil and gas cap, there are still a lot of discussions in terms of how do we do it from a structural point of view, what kind of vehicle do we use," Guilbeault said from Toronto, adding that options include creating a cap-and-trade system for the industry.
"The ERP (Emissions Reduction Plan) will not say how we'll do the oil and gas cap, because we're consulting and we don't know how we will do it."
