Five-fold jump in carbon tax would help Liberals reach climate targets, but may challenge competitiveness
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Tombe said that, based on existing research, a $170 per tonne carbon tax would lead to an emissions reduction of approximately 150 million tonnes, or a 25 per cent cut in the country’s total emissions.
“Basically, that’s going to get you right in line with the 2030 target. Layer on top of that the Clean Fuel Standards, we are on track to exceed the 2030 target by potentially as much as 50 million tonnes,” Tombe said.
Rebates and credits for building retrofits will help create work for tradespeople but the policies announced Friday could also hurt resource industries across the country, Sean Strickland, executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, said in a release Friday.
“The government needs to do more than issue a statement about creating jobs; but must align their climate strategy to secure the middle-class jobs that work in the resource sector,” Strickland said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday he was “floored” by Ottawa’s plan. Fellow Conservative politicians in Alberta expressed similar shock.
This is not the time to even be considering increasing the cost of living for the people of Alberta
Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon
“This is not the time to even be considering increasing the cost of living for the people of Alberta,” Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon said at a Friday press conference, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has induced a recession in the country.
“We promised Albertans we would fight this all the way to the Supreme Court and we have fought this,” Nixon said.
Alberta’s business executives are concerned about the impact on energy-intensive, trade-exposed industries such as natural resource extraction and manufacturing.
