Jurisdictions and institutions all over the world are setting bold emissions reductions targets to align their operations, portfolios and economies with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Alberta should signal its alignment with these global goals, and establish an absolute emissions reduction target that citizens, industry and stakeholders can rally around. This may be a net-zero emissions goal as others have done, or it could be a narrower goal such as having the lowest per-barrel emissions among heavy oil producers in the world.
Most importantly, though, progress toward the goal should be monitored and communicated regularly. More than ever, there is a need for a trusted and credible source of information about Alberta’s efforts to reduce its emissions and how those stack up with the rest of the world. Repairing some of the damage that has been done to Alberta’s image recently starts with real expert and stakeholder involvement in such an endeavour, in order to demonstrate that Alberta is serious about its climate commitments and the work required to meet them.
