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Chamber Reacts to Proposed Climate Change Plan

Nov 24, 2015

Edmonton Chamber Reacts to Alberta’s Proposed Climate Change Plan

November 24, 2015

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce supports actions to deal with the very real threat of climate change. In our submission to the Climate Change Advisory Panel, the Chamber recommended new rules with built-in flexibility, allowing businesses to chart their own path towards emissions reductions.

The Edmonton Chamber recommended that any new revenue from carbon pricing be reinvested in Alberta through tax-relief, green incentives and energy efficiency rebates, and we cautioned against participating in cap-and-trade systems that would export Alberta’s wealth to other jurisdictions. We also recommended that new policies be phased-in over time.

“We are pleased to see that many of the recently announced policies will not come into effect until 2017 or later,” said Janet Riopel, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce President & CEO. “This should give sufficient time for businesses to adjust accordingly. It’s also important that revenue generated through an economy-wide carbon price is reinvested here in Alberta.”

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is encouraged by the Climate Change Advisory Panel’s recommendation that considers the competitiveness of certain industries in applying the proposed new price on carbon. We urge the Government of Alberta to follow through on this recommendation, and we look forward to hearing more details on Alberta’s new carbon price.

The business community has concerns that this price on carbon will increase the cost of doing business in Edmonton. There are also concerns about the effect this policy will have on electricity prices. A significant increase in carbon prices or electricity rates will further erode Alberta’s competitive advantage.

“We are hopeful that properly-designed incentives and efficiency rebates for business will help offset some of those costs,” said Riopel. “We look forward to receiving more details about these incentive programs, including how and when they will roll out.”


Media Inquiries:

Warren Singh
Vice-President of Policy and Outreach
780-982-9573
wsingh@edmontonchamber.com

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