Records show Canada has more than tripled coal exports since claiming to ban them under its climate change plan, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Ending coal power emissions is one of the single most important steps the world must take in the fight against climate change,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault in an inquiry of ministry tabled in the House of Commons. “Canada is driving the international phaseout of emissions from coal power.”However, figures showed since 2015, Canadian exports of thermal coal more than tripled from 2.4 million tonnes to 8.2 million tonnes. The volume of coal shipped through Canadian ports increased over the same period from eight million tonnes per year to 10 million tonnes. The figures were tabled at the request of NDP MP Laurel Collins (Victoria, BC), who asked for the steps the Canadian government has taken to ban thermal coal exports in Canada. The Liberals said in its 2021 election platform it would “ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada no later than 2030.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021 Canada will continue to do its part. “The Government of Canada continues to consider a range of possible options to implement a ban on the export of thermal coal from and through Canada,” said Guilbeault. “This includes an assessment of socio-economic and environmental impacts.”Cabinet has proposed to ban Canadians’ own use of coal-fired power plants by 2035. He threatened criminal sanctions against Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe in May after he dismissed the target as “unrealistic and unaffordable.”By 2035, Guilbeault said he wanted a net-zero, carbon-neutral power grid. He could not be more specific than that. A reporter asked what penalties Saskatchewan could face if it did not phase out coal. “We have regulated the ban on coal through the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which is a criminal tool that the federal government has,” said Guilbeault.Maximum penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act are $1 million per day fines for corporations and three years imprisonment for people. The largest penalty to date was a $195.6 million fine against Volkswagen in 2020 on 60 counts of breaching it by equipping green diesel cars with software misrepresenting nitrogen oxide emissions nine times the legal limit. Moe said in May Guilbeault should come get him after his remarks over Saskatchewan’s plan to use coal beyond 2030 and natural gas beyond 2035 for power generation. READ MORE: Moe tells Guilbeault ‘come get me’ for Sask using coal, nat gas past 'net-zero' targets“If Justin Trudeau’s the prime minister and Minister Guilbeault is the environment minister on Jan. 1, 2031, they can come get me,” said Moe.“This isn’t about fighting with the federal government.”
Records show Canada has more than tripled coal exports since claiming to ban them under its climate change plan, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Ending coal power emissions is one of the single most important steps the world must take in the fight against climate change,” said Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault in an inquiry of ministry tabled in the House of Commons. “Canada is driving the international phaseout of emissions from coal power.”However, figures showed since 2015, Canadian exports of thermal coal more than tripled from 2.4 million tonnes to 8.2 million tonnes. The volume of coal shipped through Canadian ports increased over the same period from eight million tonnes per year to 10 million tonnes. The figures were tabled at the request of NDP MP Laurel Collins (Victoria, BC), who asked for the steps the Canadian government has taken to ban thermal coal exports in Canada. The Liberals said in its 2021 election platform it would “ban thermal coal exports from and through Canada no later than 2030.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a speech to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021 Canada will continue to do its part. “The Government of Canada continues to consider a range of possible options to implement a ban on the export of thermal coal from and through Canada,” said Guilbeault. “This includes an assessment of socio-economic and environmental impacts.”Cabinet has proposed to ban Canadians’ own use of coal-fired power plants by 2035. He threatened criminal sanctions against Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe in May after he dismissed the target as “unrealistic and unaffordable.”By 2035, Guilbeault said he wanted a net-zero, carbon-neutral power grid. He could not be more specific than that. A reporter asked what penalties Saskatchewan could face if it did not phase out coal. “We have regulated the ban on coal through the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which is a criminal tool that the federal government has,” said Guilbeault.Maximum penalties under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act are $1 million per day fines for corporations and three years imprisonment for people. The largest penalty to date was a $195.6 million fine against Volkswagen in 2020 on 60 counts of breaching it by equipping green diesel cars with software misrepresenting nitrogen oxide emissions nine times the legal limit. Moe said in May Guilbeault should come get him after his remarks over Saskatchewan’s plan to use coal beyond 2030 and natural gas beyond 2035 for power generation. READ MORE: Moe tells Guilbeault ‘come get me’ for Sask using coal, nat gas past 'net-zero' targets“If Justin Trudeau’s the prime minister and Minister Guilbeault is the environment minister on Jan. 1, 2031, they can come get me,” said Moe.“This isn’t about fighting with the federal government.”
