GHG Daily
2/2/2016
The Canadian government last week announced five new principles to be applied when considering the approval of energy infrastructure proposals. Among them, for the first time, is a test regarding the climate impacts of the proposals. However, the government provided little detail as to what such a test would consist of. Matt Horne, associate regional director for British Columbia with Canadian green group Pembina, on Monday offered up four suggestions in the area.
First, Horne said, the test should ask if there are opportunities for the project to cut its anticipated carbon pollution. “One of the reasons for doing environmental assessments is to ensure that proponents are planning to use the best available processes and technologies. In other words, can we build the same project with fewer impacts on the environment?” Horne wrote in a blog post.
Second, the assessment should whether policies are in place to ensure the project’s carbon pollution is minimized, Horne said. “Where policies are lacking, the federal government can work with the provinces to ensure that any gaps are filled with a mix of provincial and federal policies,” the blog post says.
Horne also suggested the climate assessment address how the project fits into Canada’s global climate change commitments and if it will remain viable as the world moves away from fossil energy.
