Ottawa

Go with Canada: Because we put a price on carbon

The Harper government proudly touts Alberta’s carbon price

The Harper government has created a new website to sell Americans on the Keystone XL pipeline. Among the boasts contained therein: that Alberta has put a price on carbon.

Canada’s oil sands are already subject to provincial regulations that are driving investment in new environmental research and bringing emissions down through technological innovation. Alberta has regulations that require large oil sands operators to either reduce emissions or contribute money toward innovative research to improve the environmental performance of the industry.

Indeed, the Alberta government has a “Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund” that prices carbon emissions at $15 per tonne. And Peter Kent recently seemed to suggest that this wasn’t a completely terrible thing.

Amid reports that Alberta might be prepared to increase that price, Erica Alini explained the province’s system last month.

Update 4:33pm. Marc Jaccard explained his objections to Alberta’s approach last month. Andrew Leach reviewed the program for the Canadian Tax Journal last December.

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