New climate change targets, but no regulations for the oilsands

Canada announced new greenhouse gas reduction targets on Friday, pledging to cut emissions by 30 per cent over the next 15 years, but the plan avoids placing regulations on the oilsands despite earlier promises.

"What we have put forward today is a serious target," said federal Environment MinisterLeonaAglukkaq."Wewill still require work to get reducing our targets and we're determined to do that."

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The pledge comes ahead of a June meeting between Ottawa and the provinces on emissions in the lead up to a major climate change conference in Paris at the end of the year.

While the new targets are almost double Canada's previous pledge, critics point out Canada is already behind on those less ambitions goals.

"It needs to back its words with action,"saidAminAsadollahi,oilsands program directorwiththePembinaInstitute, a clean energy think tank.

"And it's now time to put some measures into place to reduce Canada's emissions and part of those measures need to include addressing oilsands emissions."

The plandoes call for reductions in methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, fromsuch thingsas flaring and industrialleaks, and new rules for natural gas-fired power plants and the chemical manufacturingindustry.

According to Ted Laking,Aglukkaq'sdirector of communications, theoilsandsaccounted for 10 per cent of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector in 2012.

The government plan alsocalls for technological innovation to improve environmental performance in the oilsands andrelies heavily on the provinces to achieve emissions reductions.

Alberta and the oil patch

Rachel Notley, Alberta's incoming premier,would only comment in a brief statement,saying she plans to ensure the province plays "an active role in dealing with the issue of climate change."

According to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, this addsanother level of uncertainty during troubled times for Alberta's oil and gas sector.

"We want to make sure that government's keeping a good eye on our competitive position, but we know that a new government coming into Alberta needs a little bit of time to think through where they want to land on the regulations that are in place in Alberta," said Alex Ferguson, vicepresident of policy at CAPP.