OTTAWA — Former environment minister Steven Guilbeault announced Wednesday that he is resigning from the Liberal caucus and leaving federal politics, deepening internal Liberal tensions over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s energy and infrastructure agenda.Guilbeault announced his departure at the caucus meeting, and is set to speak further at the House of Commons later Wednesday evening. He will be stepping down from his Quebec seat “later in the summer” according to his statement.“I have come to the conclusion that it is time for me to pursue my fight for environmental protection and the fight against climate change in a different way” Guilbeault said. This comes one day after reports that he was considering leaving caucus amid frustration over Ottawa’s new memorandum of understanding with Alberta supporting major infrastructure projects and a potential oil pipeline to British Columbia’s northwest coast. Carney thanked Guiltbeault for helping “establish the 2022 Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect 30% of Canada’s lands and waters, implemented Canada’s first emissions reduction plan.”.Guilbeault resigned from cabinet in November 2025 after being removed from the environment portfolio under Carney. His resignation marks the most significant internal Liberal rupture in the Carney-era. Before entering politics, Guilbeault was a prominent environmental activist and later became a central figure of the Trudeau government’s climate agenda. As environment minister he oversaw the controversial carbon tax and other carbon pricing programs, emissions caps and electricity regulations.
