FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2016

CONTACT:
Adam Scott, adam@priceofoil.org, +1 416 347 3858
Alex Doukas, alex@priceofoil.org, +1 202 817 0357

Canada Climate Plan proves there’s no room for tar sands pipelines

Today, the federal government of Canada released Canada’s federal climate plan. In response, Adam Scott, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change International, released the following statement:

“This incomplete climate plan is an admission by Prime Minister Trudeau that his dangerous approvals of the Kinder Morgan and Enbridge tar sands pipelines directly undermine Canada’s action on climate.

“In recent months, the government has announced several significant steps forward to cut carbon pollution, however none of these efforts can put Canada on a path to success until the Trudeau government places restrictions on the growth of Canada’s fossil fuel industry. Instead, the Trudeau government is currently handing out over $3.3 billion in annual subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

“It’s a shame to see hard won efforts to cut carbon – the coal phase-out, methane regulations and a national price on carbon – go to waste just because the Prime Minister can’t say no to the fossil fuel lobby. The approval of massive new tar sands pipelines and unchecked industry expansion they allow will lock us into rising emissions for decades to come.”

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Notes to editors:

  • The climate plan states, “The actions taken under the Framework will contribute to meeting or exceeding Canada’s 2030 target of 30% reduction below 2005 GHG levels.” EnviroEconomics estimates there will be a 152 MT gap by 2030 using already announced policies – 68MT when WCI credits for Ontario/Quebec are accounted for.

  • According to the International Institute of Sustainable Development’s Global Subsidies Initiative, Canada is providing more than $3.3 billion in subsidies to the oil and gas industry each year (http://www.iisd.org/faq/ffs/canada/).