Chrystia Freeland has announced her intention to eliminate Canada's current consumer carbon pricing regime. She aims to collaborate with various stakeholders, including provinces, territories, labor leaders, industry experts, and Indigenous Peoples, to identify effective alternatives. Freeland's approach focuses on ensuring that the largest polluters are held accountable for their emissions, aligning with her commitment to meeting Canada's climate targets.
Freeland emphasized that her plan will reduce pollution from major emitters while helping Canadians lower their energy costs. She is committed to building reliable electricity grids and supporting the transition to less carbon-intensive technologies for heating and transportation. Acknowledging the upfront costs associated with these changes, Freeland promises assistance for purchasing hybrid or electric vehicles, excluding those manufactured by Tesla. Her strategy notably excludes a consumer-facing carbon price, opting instead to leverage carbon credit markets to reduce emissions.
“Supercharging its clean electricity production, breaking down electricity distribution barriers and reducing red tape to get big projects built.”
- Chrystia Freeland
Freeland has pledged to prioritize collaboration with provinces and territories to establish interprovincial transmission lines, fostering a more interconnected grid across Canada.
“My government will prioritize working with provinces and territories to build interprovincial transmission, for a more interconnected grid across Canada.”
- Chrystia Freeland
In addition to Freeland, leadership contender Mark Carney has also vowed to eliminate the consumer-facing carbon price, advocating for alternative measures. Both candidates are vying for leadership as the Liberal Party prepares to select a successor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 9.
Freeland's plan is designed to create enduring climate progress without imposing financial burdens on Canadians. By focusing on reducing emissions through carbon credit markets and improving energy infrastructure, she believes her plan will achieve sustainable results. Her commitment to building a robust and renewable energy future underscores her vision for a greener Canada, where large-scale projects can proceed efficiently.
