Premier Rachel Notley says Alberta’s climate plan warmly received in New York

NEW YORK — Premier Rachel Notley is in New York City touting Alberta’s climate change plan and trying to drum up investment in the province’s battered oilpatch.

Notley said she told a delegation of CEOs and policy leaders at the Climate Week conference that it is possible for Alberta to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while remaining one of the most important oil producers in the world.

“Our message was, I believe, fairly well received,” Notley said Monday in a conference call with reporters.

“I think there was some initial skepticism given the history of inaction of past Alberta governments on the climate file, but the audience reacted very warmly when I shared the details of our climate leadership plan.”

The premier appeared not to be concerned that the federal Liberals are not setting more stringent climate change targets.

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The federal government has also promised to impose a carbon price on any province that doesn’t come up with its own carbon tax or cap-and-trade system.

Notley said Alberta will stick with its own plan to reduce emissions, including imposing a broad-based carbon tax starting in January.

She said setting strict CO2 reduction targets hasn’t worked in the past and wouldn’t work now.

“The aspirational target mechanism of greenhouse gas emission control has not born fruit over the last two decades and so our focus is really more on getting the support we need to take the action that will actually change emissions profiles,” she said.

“Our plan is absolutely robust and Alberta will be deemed to have taken appropriate steps.” 

Notley said she will attend an investment roundtable with business leaders on Tuesday.

The Canadian Press