Corbett talks NB’s biggest carbon polluters with Acadie-Nouvelle

Our Executive Director, Lois Corbett, spoke with L’Acadie Nouvelle this week about the provincial government’s proposed “made-in-New Brunswick” carbon pricing plan for large industrial polluters and the province’s carbon pollution reduction targets.

In new materials distributed on the Government of New Brunswick’s website and Facebook page, the province is claiming it is well on its way to achieving the Paris Agreement target of cutting emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.

While the latest available emissions data suggests that may not even be true (as large industrial polluters’ emissions have risen in recent years), Corbett also said the 2030 target is considerably weaker than the target enshrined in the New Brunswick Climate Change Act.

That target — cutting emissions by 45 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030 — stems from New Brunswick’s commitment at the 2015 Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers. It was enshrined in law by the former Gallant government in December 2017.

Acadie Nouvelle reports that Premier Blaine Higgs said in December 2018 that he will revise the more ambitious target.

“Weakening standards and targets is not a wise decision,” Corbett said. “We need stricter rules forcing companies to innovate and adopt best practices to reduce carbon pollution. We should not leave a loophole that enables large industry to continue to pollute.

“We must in New Brunswick apply the highest standards as soon as possible. We don’t have many years to diversify our economy away from fossil fuels. It’s time to send a strong message with a rigorous plan.”

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