Alberta (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta and Ontario are calling for an end to punitive federal policies that hurt competitiveness, weaken economies and don’t benefit the environment.
Provincial, federal and territorial environment ministers from across Canada will attend the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment meetings in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories from July 2 to 4, 2025.
Ahead of that meeting, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz and Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Todd McCarthy have written to the federal government requesting an urgent discussion around scrapping all federal policies and legislation that undermine competitiveness, delay project development, and disproportionately harm specific provinces and territories without any quantifiable benefits to Canada’s natural environment.
This includes discussions around specific timelines and next steps for repealing the Impact Assessment Act and the Physical Activities Regulations, Clean Electricity Regulations, and Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act and associated regulations.
The provinces also hope to discuss amending the Species at Risk Act to respect Canada’s constitutional jurisdictions, suspending the proposed oil and gas emissions cap and a commitment that Ottawa will not reintroduce Bill C-61: An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands.
“Enough talk, it’s time for action from this federal government. We look forward to discussing how to scrap these ineffective and ideological federal policies and replace them with common sense rules that create jobs, attract investment and protect the environment at the same time.”Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, Government of Alberta
