Alberta
Province will balance the economy and the environment – Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan
Balancing the economy and the environment
Alberta’s new Emissions Reduction and Energy Development (ERED) Plan charts Alberta’s course for cutting emissions, attracting investment and growing the economy.
Albertans have been stewards of one of Canada’s largest economic engines, the oil and gas sector. For decades, Albertans have stepped up to deliver responsible, ethically produced energy, helping mitigate global energy crises and leading in technology innovation to reduce emissions.
The ERED Plan is Alberta’s path forward to net-zero aspirations by 2050 while maintaining affordable, reliable and secure energy for Albertans. The plan affirms that responsibly produced oil and gas will continue to be a fundamental part of the global energy mix in the coming decades while sending a clear signal to the world that Alberta is the place to invest.
“Our made-in-Alberta plan to reduce emissions while growing the economy is a plan that works for Albertans. This could never be a one-size-fits-all model passed on by the federal government. I’m so proud of the work that has been done to bring this forward. Alberta can, and will, be a part of the solution to safeguard North American and global energy security. We can make real progress on environmental protection without sacrificing Alberta’s and Canada’s economic engine.”
Cutting emissions should not make life harder and more expensive. Actions in the ERED Plan like modernizing the electricity system, integrating new technology and supporting natural gas-fired generation will help keep energy reliable, safe and affordable for Albertans.
In February, Premier Danielle Smith sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, informing the federal government that a made-in-Alberta plan was on the way. Alberta’s government is calling on the federal government to stop setting unrealistic, unachievable targets, to stay in their lane and work with the provinces without interfering in provincial jurisdiction. Families need to keep the lights on, buy groceries and have enough gas in their car to get their kids to soccer practice without carrying the burden of expensive government climate policies.
Former premier Ralph Klein took the first step by putting out the first such plan in 1998. Since then, decades of hard work from the men and women who make their living in Alberta’s industries have led to today. The plan Alberta’s government is unveiling salutes the work done by Albertans over decades, culminating in a significant focus over the last four years, and charts the province’s next steps. More work is yet to be done.
“Alberta’s plan forward to reduce emissions while growing economic activity sets a course of success for our province. The conversation about emissions reduction must include energy security, affordability and reliability. This plan does exactly that.”
Alberta’s ERED Plan outlines investment and partnership opportunities, including ways to better support Alberta’s skilled workforce, strengthen relationships with Indigenous organizations and communities, and collaborate with industry. By driving emissions reductions in all sectors through clean technology and innovative solutions, Alberta’s plan protects and diversifies jobs and keeps money in the pockets of hard-working Albertans.
“Alberta will make an outsized contribution to Canada and the rest of the world by developing low-cost technologies towards successful decarbonization. Given Alberta’s ingenuity and energy expertise, it is in the best position to support Canada’s aim to achieve net-zero emissions in 2050.”
“Alberta has demonstrated tremendous leadership in economic reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples by creating opportunities for Indigenous communities to participate in projects that will drive tangible economic benefits and prosperity for generations to come.”
The ERED Plan outlines actions and opportunities across Alberta’s environment and economy, from oil and gas to agriculture and waste management. A summary of actions is available on the ERED Plan website.
As part of Alberta’s work to address the rising cost of living due to inflation, the ERED Plan includes a commitment to explore building codes, labelling and building benchmarking, balancing informed consumer choice with property right considerations, and exploring and growing innovation and technology for homes like new building materials and heat pumps.
“The Pathways Alliance is encouraged by the Government of Alberta’s plan to reduce emissions and achieve net zero while ensuring industry can compete globally, attract investment and continue to provide economic growth and prosperity for Albertans and Canadians.”
“Alberta’s Emissions Reduction and Energy Development Plan presents evidence that Alberta does not require overlapping federal regulation to do what is necessary to meet net zero by 2050 goals. The plan’s net zero by 2050 aspiration is the statement that investors and analysts have been looking for as the overarching signal of commitment to emissions reductions action.”
Quick facts
- Alberta was the first jurisdiction in Canada to establish a climate plan in 1998.
- Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce an industrial carbon price and emissions trading system in 2007.
- Alberta was the first government in Canada to set a methane emissions reduction target for the oil and gas sector and is on track to meet and exceed its 2025 methane emissions reduction goal.
- Alberta is expected to transition from coal-fired electricity in 2023, seven years ahead of provincial and federal targets.
- The Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) Regulation, Alberta’s industrial carbon pricing system, is at the core of emissions management in Alberta.
- From 2009 to 2021, $2.5 billion from industrial carbon pricing funds were invested in programs that support emissions reductions and climate resiliency.
- Alberta is recognized as a leader in developing carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technology, committing more than $1.8 billion to support CCUS projects to date.
From LifeSiteNews
Alberta announced it ‘is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges.’
The Conservative provincial government of Alberta is pushing back against the Canadian federal government’s continued desire to expand euthanasia in the nation, saying it will launch a review of the legislation and policies surrounding the grim practice, including a period of public engagement.
The United Conservative Party (UCP) government under Premier Danielle Smith in a press release said the province needs to make sure that robust safeguards and procedures are in place to protect vulnerable people from being coerced into getting euthanatized under the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) program.
“Alberta’s government is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges,” said the government Monday.
The government said a online survey regarding MAiD open to all Albertans who have opinions about the deadly practice will be available until December 20.
“We recognize that medical assistance in dying is a very complex and often personal issue and is an important, sensitive and emotional matter for patients and their families,” said Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General Mickey Amery.
Amery said it is important to ensure this process has the “necessary supports to protect the most vulnerable.”
The government said that it will also be engaging with academics, medical associations, public bodies, as well as religious organizations and “regulatory bodies, advocacy groups” regarding MAiD
The government said all information gathered through this consultation will “help inform the Alberta government’s planning and policy decision making, including potential legislative changes regarding MAID in Alberta.”
When it comes to MAiD, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government sought to expand it from the chronically and terminally ill to those suffering solely from mental illness.
However, in February, after pushback from pro-life, medical, and mental health groups as well as most of Canada’s provinces, the federal government delayed the mental illness expansion until 2027.
Alberta’s Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams said that the UCP government has been “clear” that it does not “support the provision of medically assisted suicide for vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness as their primary purpose for seeking their own death.”
“Instead, our goal is to build a continuum of care where vulnerable Albertans can live in long-term health and fulfilment. We look forward to the feedback of Albertans as we proceed with this important issue,” he noted.
The Alberta government said that as MAiD is “federally legislated and regulated” it is main job will be to try and make sure that it protects “vulnerable individuals” as much as possible.
Alberta’s Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange reaffirmed that the Alberta government “does not support expanding MAID eligibility to include those facing depression or mental illness and continues to call on the federal government to end this policy altogether.”
The number of Canadians killed by lethal injection under the nation’s MAiD program since 2016 stands at close to 65,000, with an estimated 16,000 deaths in 2023 alone. Many fear that because the official statistics are manipulated the number may be even higher.
To combat Canadians being coerced into MAiD, which LifeSiteNews has covered, the combat pro-life Delta Hospice Society (DHS) is offering a free “Do Not Euthanize Defense Kit” to help vulnerable people “protect themselves” from any healthcare workers who might push euthanasia on the defenseless.
Nurse practitioners expand primary care access |
The Alberta government’s Nurse Practitioner Primary Care program is showing early signs of success, with 33 nurse practitioners already practising independently in communities across the province.
Alberta’s government is committed to strengthening Alberta’s primary health care system, recognizing that innovative approaches are essential to improving access. To further this commitment, the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program was launched in April, allowing nurse practitioners to practise comprehensive patient care autonomously, either by operating their own practices or working independently within existing primary care settings.
Since being announced, the program has garnered a promising response. A total of 67 applications have been submitted, with 56 approved. Of those, 33 nurse practitioners are now practising autonomously in communities throughout Alberta, including in rural locations such as Beaverlodge, Coaldale, Cold Lake, Consort, Morley, Picture Butte, Three Hills, Two Hills, Vegreville and Vermilion.
“I am thrilled about the interest in this program, as nurse practitioners are a key part of the solution to provide Albertans with greater access to the primary health care services they need.”
To participate in the program, nurse practitioners are required to commit to providing a set number of hours of medically necessary primary care services, maintain a panel size of at least 900 patients, offer after-hours access on weekends, evenings or holidays, and accept walk-in appointments until a panel size reaches 900 patients.
With 33 nurse practitioners practising independently, about 30,000 more Albertans will have access to the primary health care they need. Once the remaining 23 approved applicants begin practising, primary health care access will expand to almost 21,000 more Albertans.
“Enabling nurse practitioners to practise independently is great news for rural Alberta. This is one more way our government is ensuring communities will have access to the care they need, closer to home.”
“Nurse practitioners are highly skilled health care professionals and an invaluable part of our health care system. The Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program is the right step to ensuring all Albertans can receive care where and when they need it.”
“The NPAA wishes to thank the Alberta government for recognizing the vital role NPs play in the health care system. Nurse practitioners have long advocated to operate their own practices and are ready to meet the growing health care needs of Albertans. This initiative will ensure that more people receive the timely and comprehensive care they deserve.”
The Nurse Practitioner Primary Care program not only expands access to primary care services across the province but also enables nurse practitioners to practise to their full scope, providing another vital access point for Albertans to receive timely, high-quality care when and where they need it most.
Quick facts
- Through the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program, nurse practitioners receive about 80 per cent of the compensation that fee-for-service family physicians earn for providing comprehensive primary care.
- Compensation for nurse practitioners is determined based on panel size (the number of patients under their care) and the number of patient care hours provided.
- Nurse practitioners have completed graduate studies and are regulated by the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta.
- For the second consecutive year, a record number of registrants renewed their permits with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) to continue practising nursing in Alberta.
- There were more than 44,798 registrants and a 15 per cent increase in nurse practitioners.
- Data from the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program show:
- Nine applicants plan to work on First Nations reserves or Metis Settlements.
- Parts of the province where nurse practitioners are practising: Calgary (12), Edmonton (five), central (six), north (three) and south (seven).
- Participating nurse practitioners who practise in eligible communities for the Rural, Remote and Northern Program will be provided funding as an incentive to practise in rural or remote areas.
- Participating nurse practitioners are also eligible for the Panel Management Support Program, which helps offset costs for physicians and nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive care as their patient panels grow.
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