Trudeau has appointed a pair of climate-focused ministers in his new cabinet, firing a shot across the bow of Canada’s fossil fuel industry
Justin Trudeau has fired a shot across the bow of Canada’s fossil fuel industry with the appointments of a pair of climate-focused ministers in his new cabinet.
The Natural Resources shake-up, in particular, is a bold and probably necessary move if the government is to have much chance of meeting its new commitment to a 40-per-cent reduction in GHG emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. And Mr. Guilbeault’s new role in Environment will be well received at COP26, the two-week United Nations climate summit set to begin in Glasgow in just a few days.
And he will face immediate suspicion from the fossil fuel industry and its champions in the provincial governments of oil-producing provinces. That will especially be the case when it comes to the lengthy process of developing and implementing oil and gas emissions capsOut of the gate, both Mr. Guilbeault and those interests will need to show some willingness to engage with each other, which might not come naturally to either party.
Until now – including under its most recent former minister, Seamus O’Regan, who prioritized mending relations with oil-producing parts of the country – Natural Resources has hardly leaned into the transition to a low-carbon economy. Based on his time in government so far, Mr. Wilkinson seems well-suited to the tasks at hand. He has a reputation for driving departments hard, reflected in a quick regulatory and planning pace at ECCC. He also has a relatively low-key communications style that can help minimize conflict, which was on display when he ushered in plans for carbon-pricing increases with minimal fuss.
Mr. Trudeau could have gone further with his new cabinet to ensure a strong climate focus across government. Other ministries that have a piece of that agenda, such as Agriculture, may still need a kick. There is possible cause for concern about Infrastructure, which was given a new focus on climate sustainability and resilience under Catherine McKenna before she declined to seek re-election. The department is now being assigned to the more old-school Dominic LeBlanc.
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