Newly re-appointed federal Minister of Environment Peter Kent
signalled that the Canadian government will begin regulating
greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired electricity and oilsands
projects. Minister Kent stated that regulations for coal-fired
plants will arrive first, with rules for oilsands to follow later
this year. For now, a carbon tax or cap-and-trade plan will not
form part of the regulations. Instead, the federal government will
issue "flexible guidelines" that allow individual sectors
to meet their targets through measures such as technological
improvements.
Minister Kent indicated that there will be an accommodation period
for oilsands operations, and that regulations will not be a
"hardline of sudden conversion." As well, Minister Kent
noted that the rules may not necessarily adopt all the provisions
of last year's proposed coal regulations, which starting in
2015, would have forced the shut-down of coal plants over 45 years
old if upgrades could not bring down plant emissions.
Minister Kent indicated that federal regulations are needed to meet
Canada's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, the same target provided in
the United States by the Obama administration.
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