Brad Wall releases climate change action plan

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall released his action plan to combat climate change Tuesday.

In Wall’s white paper, he included 13 recommendations to address climate change.

This is Wall’s alternative to the federal government’s proposed carbon tax that Wall has been adamantly opposing. Wall doesn’t believe cap and trade and carbon taxes are the right action plan.

Part of what the provincial government wants is for the federal government to “redeploy” $2.65 billion from developing countries to fight greenhouse gas emissions here instead.

“We would be better off in finding the next-generation technologies, whether they are renewables or post-combustion CCS for coal plants,” Wall explained to a luncheon hosted by the Regina and District Chamber of Commerce.

“I think the best way we can help developing countries is to invest in technologies that can be deployed and work there.”

The government remains committed to goal of having SaskPower be 50 per cent renewable by 2030.

Other measures in the white paper include giving due credit to industries, like farming and forestry, that are working to reduce and even “put back” emissions released. 

Plus a levy on large emitters to fund a new technologies fund.

Wall believes the federal government’s numbers show Saskatchewan is one of only three provinces en route to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

“What’s significant about what Saskatchewan is saying is let’s change the discussion, let’s focus more on adaptation than we have and let’s find the technologies that will actually do something about the problem.”