Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Environment and Protected Areas Rebecca Schulz stand together during the swearing in of her cabinet, in Edmonton, Alta, Friday, June 9, 2023. Critics say direction from Smith to her new environment minister lacks specifics on climate change and does more to protect industry interests than ecosystems. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson.
EDMONTON – Critics say direction from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to her new environment minister lacks specifics on climate change and does more to protect industry interests than ecosystems.
Smith’s mandate letter to Rebecca Schulz gives her 13 priorities, from developing regulations to release oilsands tailings into the environment to implementing a climate plan.
It also includes instructions to open up water licensing, streamline industrial reclamation and oppose federal environmental regulation.
New Democrat environment critic Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse says the letter does nothing to further the vague climate change strategy the government released last April.
Simon Dyer of the clean energy think tank the Pembina Institute says the letter fails to set any near-term climate goals.
Tara Russell of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says the letter makes no mention of increasing protected areas or conserving at-risk species.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2023.
