Environment

We don’t have to choose between a strong economy and a healthy environment. Just like we don’t have to choose between the UCP and NDP. Albertans deserve a better choice when it comes to the environment this election. 

Alberta Liberals are the better choice. We will work to protect nature, adapt to climate change, and live sustainably. 

Made-in-Alberta Carbon Pricing: The Alberta Liberals support the creation of a made-in-Alberta carbon tax. A made-in-Alberta carbon tax will let Albertans decide how best to use the revenue generated instead of letting Ottawa decide.

Investing in Renewable Energy: Renewable energy is an economic opportunity for Alberta. Alberta Liberals support creating a business and regulatory environment that allows renewable energy to grow and thrive. We will invest in research that helps make these projects more economical and promote greater competition in energy supply to help drive costs down for consumers.

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery: As the climate warms, we will experience more extreme weather disasters, including wildfires, droughts, and floods. Alberta Liberals would budget based on a rolling average of the previous five years instead of dangerously underfunding emergency preparedness as past governments have done. 

Expanding Protected Areas: Currently, around 15% of Alberta’s natural environments are protected. We would expand protected areas to cover 30% of Alberta by 2030 and 50% by 2050. This will protect Alberta’s natural environment and its biodiversity, so we can leave it intact as a legacy to our children and grandchildren. 

Protecting our Water Supplies: We’re committed to a more robust conservation strategy for our water supplies and the Rocky Mountains Eastern Slopes. Our ecosystems and our well-being depend on it. Our strategy includes:

• Funding all watershed councils to develop land-use planning documents 
• Greater scrutiny of projects with large impacts on water usage. 
• Reducing the amount of freshwater used in fracking. 
• Implementing mandatory baseline groundwater testing where hydraulic fracturing has been used. 
• Opposing interbasin water transfers in all but the most extreme circumstances
• Greater transparency in reporting of contamination incidents such as the recent toxic tailings pond releases
• Better monitoring of water quality downstream of industry. 

Unfunded Reclamation Costs:  Orphaned wells pose a significant environmental risk to Alberta. One that has been ignored by past governments. We will take action and make sure polluters pay and the well sites are cleaned up on the industry’s dime rather than on the taxpayers’.