Carney needs to ‘pick a lane' on climate priorities and energy boost, activist says
OTTAWA - Climate activists and energy leaders say Prime Minister Mark Carney will need to make some hard choices on whether to bolster the country's oil and gas sector as means of achieving economic stability.
Throughout the election campaign, Carney signalled an openness to building more pipelines in Canada and promised to cut approval times to get projects built faster. He also acknowledged during the English leaders' debate that having western Canadian oil flow through the United States to Ontario and Quebec presents a national security threat.
But he also has said he wants to keep Canada's emissions cap on oil and gas production in place, and to strengthen the industrial carbon price — policies the oil and gas sector has called on him to scrap.
Carney also campaigned on making Canada a 'world leader' in carbon capture and introducing investment tax credits to support clean energy and technology.
While Carney said before the campaign he would keep the emissions cap in place, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said the prime minister told her behind closed doors that he wasn't in favour of hard caps.
'We've heard Mr. Carney, in particular during the election campaign, adopt an 'all of the above' approach to energy and refusing to pick a lane between a cleaner, safer, renewable powered future and doubling down on the volatile fossil fuel status quo,' said Caroline Brouillette, executive director of Climate Action Network.
'I think that in 2025 we don't have the luxury of not picking a lane, both from an environmental side of things but also from an economic side of things.'
And Carney doesn't have the luxury of time either, said Adam Waterous, chairman of oil and gas producer Strathcona Resources.
With the auto, steel and aluminum sectors reeling from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, he said, Carney's most powerful bargaining chip is Canada's energy.
'Donald Trump has been very, very consistent for nine years. He ran on this originally, and now he wants one thing from Canada. And it's not fentanyl and illegal immigration, that's a head-fake. He wants an agreement to build Keystone XL,' Waterous said.
The Keystone XL project — a 1,900-kilometre pipeline that would have run from Hardisty, Alta., to the major U.S. crude storage hub at Cushing, Okla., and then on to Gulf Coast refineries — was first proposed during the Obama administration, which rejected it on environmental grounds.
It was then revived under the first Trump administration before then-president Joe Biden killed it again by revoking the pipeline's permit on his first day in the White House in 2021. At that point, the project's proponent TC mothballed the project.
Posting on his Truth Social account back in February, Trump called for the project to be resuscitated.
'Now, the industry doesn't want to build that,' Waterous said, adding the sector wants an east-west pipeline in order to diversify Canada's oil and gas exports and reach overseas markets.
Oil and gas leaders laid out five demands in a letter to Carney shortly after the election. They called on him to, among other things, scrap the emissions cap regulations and repeal industrial carbon pricing.
The federal government could pursue the Keystone project on its own, Waterous said — but that could present a different roadblock.
'The United States will not enter into an agreement with a state-owned enterprise because it is considered a non-tariff trade barrier as a subsidized entity. It has to be a private sector party,' Waterous said.
But the project would be unlikely to get a private backer, he said, because 'the energy sector doesn't want to do this. They want to go east-west.'
'The energy private sector would be doing this to shelter auto, steel and aluminum. So you see the irony in this dynamic.'
— With files from Lauren Krugel in Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Black America Web
25 minutes ago
- Black America Web
President Donald Trump Orders Bombing Of 3 Iran Nuclear Sites, Democrats Frozen Out From Intel
Source: HAYI / Getty After initially stating to mull the decision for a time, President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday (June 21), which has escalated the conflict to unprecedented levels. Top Democratic Party officials say that they were not briefed on President Trump's actions, and a national address from the former business mogul claimed a total annihilation of Iran's nuclear weapons production capabilities. As seen in an NBC News report, President Trump boasted of the bombing of three sites in Iran, Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, which the administration framed as the epicenter of Iran's nuclear weapons production. This comes as the two countries are locked in a long-distance skirmish that has left over 400 dead in Iran and over 24 dead in Israel. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump wrote on Truth Social shortly after the attack. The move garnered praise from several GOP officials, including Speaker Mike Johnson, who stated that Congress would have taken too long to give its approval to Trump. Democratic Party Sen. John Fetterman praised Trump's actions, writing on X, 'Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world.' Fetterman's stance differs from those of his party, many of whom said that they were left out of briefing talks ahead of the strikes. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman out of Kentucky, called Trump's actions 'unconstitutional' via social media. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia wrote on X of the bombing, 'The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran. And the Israeli Foreign Minister admitted yesterday that Israeli bombing had set the Iranian nuclear program back 'at least 2 or 3 years'. So what made Trump recklessly decide to rush and bomb today? Horrible judgment. I will push for all Senators to vote on whether they are for this third idiotic Middle East war.' House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York shared in a statement, 'President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East.' United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also took to X to give a statement regarding the strikes: I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security. There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world. I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the @UN Charter and other rules of international law. At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. Source: Pool / Getty Late Saturday night, Trump was flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Jim Hegseth, and State Secretary Marco Rubio, praising the efforts of the military strike. 'I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done, and most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades,' President Trump said. On X, the reaction to the Iran bombing and the fear of retaliation cast gloom across the social media network. We've got reactions below. — Photo: Getty President Donald Trump Orders Bombing Of 3 Iran Nuclear Sites, Democrats Frozen Out From Intel was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British Airways flights to Doha and Dubai cancelled after US strikes Iran
British Airways has cancelled flights to Dubai and Doha after Donald Trump ordered a US attack on Iran's nuclear sites. It comes after a British Airways (BA) flight from London Heathrow to Dubai was diverted to Zurich on Saturday night (June 21). The BA109 flight departed from the UK at 9.53pm on Saturday and reached Saudi Arabia before the Boeing 787 Dreamliner changed its course, landing in Switzerland, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. All of the airline's flights to Dubai and Doha that were scheduled to depart from Heathrow on Sunday have been cancelled, including return flights, the company said. Dubai: 1,000-plus British Airways passengers waiting in the UAE to be flown home after BA cancelled 4 flights from Heathrow to DXB. 1 BA plane on Saturday reached Saudi Arabia before turning around, but had to divert to Zurich. Emirates operating — Simon Calder (@SimonCalder) June 22, 2025 Israel announced on Sunday (June 22) that it had closed its airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the US attacks. The US struck three nuclear test sites in Iran overnight, prompting Tehran to launch a retaliatory ballistic missile barrage against Israel. Recommended reading: How does parking work at Heathrow Airport - All to know Can you still use a red passport for travelling in 2025? Furious Ryanair customer abandons holiday over 'ridiculous' £55 charge In a statement, British Airways said: 'As a result of recent events, we have adjusted our flight schedule to ensure the safety of our customers and crew, which is always our top priority. 'We are contacting our customers to advise them of their options while we work through this developing situation.' BA is offering a flexible booking policy for customers already booked onto flights to Dubai and Doha between Sunday and Tuesday who wish to change their dates of travel.
Chicago Tribune
30 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
What to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the US intervention
ATHENS, Greece — The United States inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran, bombing three of the Islamic Republic's key nuclear sites overnight. U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that the sites were 'completely and fully obliterated,' and warned there would be additional strikes if Iran retaliates. The U.S. strikes came after a week of open conflict between Israel and Iran, sparked by Israel's sudden barrage of attacks against Iran's nuclear and military structure. US strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites, inserting itself into Israel's war with IranIsraeli strikes began on June 13. Targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites, they killed several top military officials and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, some of which penetrated the country's vaunted multi-tiered air defense system. The war so far has killed hundreds of people and wounded more than 1,000 in Iran and killed two dozen and wounded hundreds in Israel. Iran insists its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. But Israel views it as an existential threat and has said its military campaign is necessary to prevent Iran from building an atomic weapon. Although U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb, Trump and Israeli leaders have argued it could quickly assemble a nuclear weapon, making it an imminent threat. The region has been on edge for the past two years as Israel seeks to annihilate the Hamas militant group, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still rages after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Here's what to know about the conflict between Israel and Iran, and the United States' intervention: Trump announced the overnight 'massive precision strikes' on Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites in a televised address to the nation from the White House. Describing them as 'a spectacular military success,' he said they had 'completely and fully obliterated' the nuclear sites. Iran, he said, would now have to make peace. Iran's Atomic Energy Organization confirmed the attacks, but insisted its nuclear program will not be stopped. Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination at the three locations following the strikes. The nuclear fuel enrichment site at Fordo is buried deep beneath a mountain, and the attack against it used bunker-buster bombs designed to penetrate the ground before exploding, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Only the United States has the 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) munition and the stealth bombers used to deliver them. Trump warned there would be additional strikes if Tehran retaliated against U.S. forces, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump's decision to attack. Iran launched a barrage of missiles against Israel overnight and into Sunday, with Israeli authorities reporting that more than 80 people were wounded, the vast majority of them lightly. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the time for diplomacy had passed and his country had the right to defend itself. 'The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far-reaching implications of its act of aggression,' he said in a news conference in Istanbul. 'They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities.' How Tehran might retaliate remains unclear, but an Iranian response could mean a wave of attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, an attempt to close a key bottleneck for global oil supplies or a dash to develop a nuclear weapon. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'gravely alarmed' by the United States' use of force, and called the strikes a 'dangerous escalation.' World leaders issued calls for diplomacy. 'There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control — with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region and the world,' Guterres said in a statement on X. 'I call on Member States to de-escalate.' Nations react to US strikes on Iran with many calling for diplomacyThe European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, but urged restraint. 'I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,' she said in a social media post. Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had threatened to resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joined Israel's military campaign, called on other Muslim nations to form 'one front against the Zionist-American arrogance.' Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the U.S. on Wednesday that strikes against Iran would 'result in irreparable damage for them.' The Israeli military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran's foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement 'would be very, very dangerous for everyone.'
