The provincial government is hoping for a portion of the Low Carbon Economy Fund despite not signing onto the national climate change plan.
The Saskatchewan government has followed through on its promise to apply for federal climate change funding despite being told it is not eligible for $62 million initially earmarked for the province.
Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund includes $1.4 billion for provinces and territories that have signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.
Last summer, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna warned Saskatchewan it would not receive its share unless it signed on to the national climate change plan — and imposed a carbon tax — something the province is still adamant it will not do.
“We’re very hopeful that the federal government will reconsider the position that they’ve taken,” said Saskatchewan Environment Minister Dustin Duncan. “If this is really about reducing emissions, then there really isn’t a reason why the federal government should deny Saskatchewan these dollars.”
The province submitted 11 projects, which it says will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 188 million tonnes from energy and power production, water, forests and agriculture. The costs of the projects total more than $200 million and will be part of the province’s Prairie Resilience climate change plan.
Some of the projects include serving new communities with natural gas, solar panels at 12 SaskWater facilities, a residential home retrofit program, pasture seeding, a mountain pine beetle surveillance program and an emission-free oilfield microgrid project.
The Saskatchewan government has followed through on its promise to apply for federal climate change funding despite being told it is not eligible for $62 million initially earmarked for the province.
Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund includes $1.4 billion for provinces and territories that have signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.
Last summer, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna warned Saskatchewan it would not receive its share unless it signed on to the national climate change plan — and imposed a carbon tax — something the province is still adamant it will not do.
“We’re very hopeful that the federal government will reconsider the position that they’ve taken,” said Saskatchewan Environment Minister Dustin Duncan. “If this is really about reducing emissions, then there really isn’t a reason why the federal government should deny Saskatchewan these dollars.”
The province submitted 11 projects, which it says will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 188 million tonnes from energy and power production, water, forests and agriculture. The costs of the projects total more than $200 million and will be part of the province’s Prairie Resilience climate change plan.
Some of the projects include serving new communities with natural gas, solar panels at 12 SaskWater facilities, a residential home retrofit program, pasture seeding, a mountain pine beetle surveillance program and an emission-free oilfield microgrid project.