The government of Saskatchewan has taken an important step in putting their climate change plan into action next year. Environment Minister Dustin Duncan tabled necessary legislation to implement industry performance standards.
In addition to performance standards, The Management and Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Amendment Act, Bill 132, will provide the regulatory framework for heavy emitters contributing to a green technology fund, purchasing performance credits and carbon offset credits.
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“These amendments are an important step in fulfilling our government’s promise to reduce emissions and make Saskatchewan more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” Duncan said. “We already have an effective plan, and we are proceeding with industrial performance standards and compliance options in 2019 – especially with the federal government’s recognition of Prairie Resilience.”
When unveiling the framework for the federal price on emissions, Ottawa said that sectors covered under Prairie Resilience will only have to comply with those regulations.
However, since power generation and energy pipelines were not included, those sectors will be regulated under the federal standards come Jan. 1, 2019.
Bill 132 will also oversee several administrative steps of Prairie Resilience, including a requirement for heavy emitters to register with the province.
All emitters pumping out over 10,000 tonnes of carbon annually will have to track their emissions. Those with emissions over 25,000 tonnes will have to comply with performance standards.
The minister said that emitters under the 25,000 tonnes threshold may want to voluntarily comply earlier if they anticipate their emissions growing. This would allow them to access the technology fund or start earning performance credits ahead of time.
Duncan first unveiled these performance standards at the end of August, with a stamp of approval from several industry groups.
These amendments build off legislation that was passed in 2009 to establish a technology fund for heavy emitters. However, the legislation was never implemented.
The opposition NDP have been calling for the legislation to be implemented for years. Opposition Leader Ryan Meili said they have not yet had time to properly go over these new amendments.
"The government's actually had nine years to put it in place and take action. They've chosen not to. Now there's pressure to move quickly," Meili said.
"We will certainly have a good look at what the amendments are and decide whether or not it's close enough to the original that we're happy with it and it can go quickly. If there are real concerns that we have, we will debate them."
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The province touts Prairie Resilience as a climate plan that has achievable emission reduction targets, without implementing an economy-wide price on pollution.
The federal government plans on imposing a carbon tax on Saskatchewan next year. In addition to the price on power and energy generation, there will be a price on fuel that takes effect April 1, 2019. That price is expected to add 4.42 cents per litre to the price of gas in the first year.
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The federal plan will see carbon pollution priced at $10 per tonne next year, adding $10 annually until reaching $50 per tonne in 2022.
The province does have a legal challenge on this tax before Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal. Justice Minister Don Morgan anticipates the case will be heard in the spring, but doesn’t anticipate a final decision until sometime in 2020.
