NorthAmOil: Alberta unveils 2050 climate plan

Alberta has unveiled a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions plan, targeting net-zero by 2050. This is in line with Canada’s federal target also of net-zero by mid-century.

The new 66-page Emissions Reduction and Energy Development (ERED) plan emphasises carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)¸ stricter methane regulations and bolstering Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing.

The government described the plan as “aspirational”.

“The ERED plan is Alberta’s path forward to net-zero aspirations by 2050 while maintaining affordable, reliable and secure energy for Albertans,” said the premier’s office. “The plan affirms that responsibly produced oil and gas will continue to be a fundamental part of the global energy mix in the coming decades while sending a clear signal to the world that Alberta is the place to invest.”

"The Pathways Alliance is encouraged by the government of Alberta's plan to reduce emissions and achieve net zero while ensuring industry can compete globally, attract investment and continue to provide economic growth and prosperity for Albertans and Canadians,” said the group’s president, Kendall Dilling.

Pathways’ six members operate about 95% of Canada's oil sands production. Pathways has proposed spending CAD16.5bn ($12.3bn) before 2030 on the first phase of a massive proposed CCUS project at Cold Lake, in northern Alberta, to form the core of the province’s emissions plans.

But the government of Alberta, Canada’s oil patch, in its climate plan declined to establish interim targets, drawing a harsh response from critics, who said the plan should be a roadmap rather than aspirational. The plan also lacks specific on funding and infrastructure, said critics.

Canada’s federal government has an interim target of a 40-45% cut in emissions by 2030.

“This so-called plan is purely aspirational, does not set firm targets, lacks accountability and relies on technology that is yet to be deployed,” said New Democratic Party’s (NDP) opposition environment critic, Marlin Schmidt, in a press release. He said that the NDP intends to reach a net-zero electricity grid by 2035, as well as net zero for the entire economy by 2050.

Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, with most of that output coming from Alberta. The conservative province is also the highest emitter of GHGs of all provinces in Canada, and the oil sands account for around one-third of that.

In 2021, Canada’s oil and gas sector contributed more GHG emissions to the atmosphere than any other sector in Canada at about 28% of the total, according to a recent federal report.