Alberta’s vow to assume control of corporate greenhouse gas data in a fight against Ottawa’s oil and gas emissions cap would mean significant government overreach into private operations and create new legal risks for energy companies, law experts say., the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, in its battle against Ottawa’s proposed cap on oil and gas pollution. Ms.
“Companies should look at this and thank us for this, for being willing to protect them from federal government overreach,” Ms. Smith said Tuesday. “We’re anticipating that this should be welcomed by the energy sector.” Anna Johnston, a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, said the list of proposed actions has little legal precedent and could place companies in legal jeopardy.
“It is difficult to square this plan to reduce emissions – and commitments from industry to invest in decarbonization projects – with this pushback to emissions regulation on the idea that there’s no way to meet it and comply with the cap without shutting in production,” she said.Ottawa’s planned cap would limit greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s oil and gas sector to 35 per cent below 2019 levels. Ms.
Conor Chell, national leader of environmental, social and governance legal risk and disclosure at KPMG, said the move to restrict emissions information underscores the tension between the federal and provincial governments over oil and gas development and limiting greenhouse gases.