‘It depends’: Carney shifts stance on emissions cap

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the fate of the emissions cap on oil and gas producers depends on other efforts to lower emissions.

Carney’s comment, coming in response to a question from a reporter at an event in Ottawa today, appears to be a shift from his stance before the election, when he committed to keeping the emissions cap in place.

Carney was asked if he is considering dropping the cap and the tanker ban along the B.C. coast — both measures the oil and gas industry and the Alberta government are calling on Ottawa to repeal.

He said “it depends” before saying his government’s goal is to lower emissions from the energy, mining and manufacturing sectors to make their products more competitive globally.

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In March, Carney told reporters he would keep the emissions cap in place, though he also has said he wants to find other ways to lower emissions.

The emissions cap, set to take effect in 2030, requires upstream oil and gas operations to reduce their emissions to 35 per cent below where they were in 2019.