Carney backs away from Trudeau-era climate plan

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that the climate policies he inherited from Justin Trudeau's government were "not sustainable" and acknowledged Canada's emissions will be higher in the next few years under his administration's new direction.

In a "Forward Guidance" video posted on social media, Carney defended his pivot toward accelerating oil and gas exports and away from strict emissions caps. "It would have been too expensive for Canadians. Canadians who are already struggling with affordability," he said of the previous plan. He also called it "too divisive for our country" and "an open opportunity for those people who wish to pull Canada apart both at home and abroad."

Conservatives and supporters of expanded Canadian energy exports have long argued the Trudeau government's climate framework would cost families too much and harm economic growth. The Trudeau administration countered that the carbon tax returned more money to most Canadians through rebates than they paid, improving affordability, and that it was possible to protect the environment while growing the economy.

Carney said the world has changed since 2015, when Trudeau took office. "The certainties of the world of 2015 are long gone. Our neighbourhood hasn't been this hostile since Canada was founded," he said.

The prime minister's remarks came on the eve of Canada Day, when Premier Danielle Smith vowed to submit Alberta's bid for a new West Coast pipeline to the federal Major Projects Office. The pipeline is part of an energy pact between Ottawa and Alberta and is contingent on a multi-billion-dollar carbon capture and storage project.

Carney said nobody knows how long the global economy will rely on conventional energy, but until then, as much fuel as possible should come from Canada. "We can't afford to restrain the growth of an important part of our energy mix, oil and gas, to meet a short-term goal," he said.

The Carney government has scrapped the consumer carbon price and a cap on oil and gas sector pollution. It is expanding liquefied natural gas exports and supporting another Alberta-to-B.C. pipeline. Canada lags behind other G7 countries in emissions reductions, and youth and advocates are suing the government to force release of a climate plan aligned with Canada's legally binding climate targets.