The new Canadian environment minister, a longtime environmental activist, said on Wednesday he had no
"hidden agenda"
for the oil and gas industry, worried about his appointment.
"As Minister of the Environment, I have no hidden agenda
,
"
said Steven Guilbeault, who is preparing to participate in the COP26 climate summit.
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In a press briefing, the minister let it be known that his government did not wish to impose a cap on the production of hydrocarbons, but rather
"to limit the pollution which is generated by these sectors".
The day before, the premier of Alberta, where the tar sands are located, reacted by saying that the appointment of Steven Guilbeault sent a
"very problematic"
message
for his province, given his previous positions and his 30 years. of activism to defend the climate cause.
"There are a lot of concerns about the positions he has taken in the past,"
Brian Schmidt, president of Tamarack Valley Energy, an Alberta-based oil exploration and production company, told AFP.
The latter hopes that the Minister of the Environment will take into account the efforts and measures put in place by his industry to reduce polluting emissions because, he says,
"we are determined to produce oil and gas with the least amount of water. 'emissions'
possible. For his part, opposition leader Erin O'Toole denounced the appointment of Steven Guilbeault, calling it an
“inappropriate decision”.
In response to these concerns, Steven Guilbeault said he wanted to work with his provincial and territorial counterparts.
"I would be happy to sit down with Premier (of Alberta) Kenney and other Premiers and Environment Ministers to discuss the work that can be done to fight climate change together
,
"
a- he said.
On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who pledged to eliminate subsidies to the fossil fuel industry by 2023, also stressed that emissions from the oil and gas sector must be capped and then possibly eliminated altogether. .
He also warned workers in this sector, who according to him will have to find
“new jobs”
or
“new careers”
, insisting that the government will support Canadians in this ecological transition.