Alberta Announces Landmark Climate Protection Strategy

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced a transformative three-pronged climate protection plan on November 22 that will cap greenhouse gas emissions from oil sands development, add a carbon tax, and phase-out coal power plants.

2 minute read

November 25, 2015, 5:00 AM PST

By Irvin Dawid


At a meeting where "the premiers and territorial leaders jointly met with the prime minister for the first time in nearly seven years, "Notley gave a brief summary of the plan she revealed Sunday which includes a phased-in $30/tonne carbon tax, a hard cap on oil sands emissions starting in 2017, and the ending of coal powered electricity generation by 2030," writes Josh Dehaas of CTV News.

Alberta is where Canada's vast oil wealth is located in the form of oil sands, which is said by many to be the most carbon-emitting type of oil. Despite the local economy suffering due to the plunge in oil prices, "the plans won plaudits from powerful oil executives along with environmental groups," write Justin Giovannetti and Jeffrey Jones for The Globe and Mail via Business News Networks.

New measures include (a) 100-megatonne cap on carbon emissions from the oil sands, Canada’s fastest-growing source of emissions, once new rules are adopted. It currently emits 70 megatonnes annually.

Nutley referred to the recent rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline:

“We got a major wake-up call a few weeks ago in the form of a kick in the teeth from the government of the United States,” Ms. Notley said. “Unfairly in my view, the President of the United States claimed that our production is some of the dirtiest oil in the world. That is the reputation that mistaken government policy in the past has earned for us.”

"British Columbia Premier Christy Clark later told reporters she was 'really pleased' with Alberta’s choice of a wide-ranging carbon tax regime similar to the one B.C. implemented in 2008." The Alberta webpage refers to the scheme as "carbon pricing."

Ontario and Quebec have committed to a cap-and-trade plan to reduce emissions. Ontario also managed to fully eliminate coal powered electricity generation by 2014, although not without complaints about growing electricity bills.

Arguably the most difficult part of the plan will be the phase-out of coal power plants which supply 55 percent of the province's electricity. According to CBC News:

Two-thirds of coal-generated electricity will be replaced by renewables — primarily wind power — while natural gas generation will continue to provide firm base-load reliability.

Read more on the plan on the provincial website.

Hat tip to Paul Gipe via Ed Mainland

Monday, November 23, 2015 in CTV

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

June 30 - Cities Today

Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

June 30 - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.