Alberta minister rejects hard emissions targets

Environment Minister Rob Renner said Alberta won't be setting absolute targets for industry onreducing greenhouse gasemissions any time soon, despite a public survey that shows most Albertans want such a move.

About 2,600 people responded to the government's call for public input earlier this year on the issue of climate change.

Almost 90 per cent of respondentssaid Alberta should move quickly to adopt absolute greenhouse gasreduction targets for industry rather than intensity targets. Intensity targets allow overall emissions to grow as long as the greenhouse gas producer is using energy more efficiently.

Those who filled out the survey also rejected the idea of nuclear power, carbon capture and storage and clean-burning coal.

At a news conference Wednesday, Grande Prairie Alderman Carol-Lee Eckhardtprodded Renner, who was sitting right beside her, on the issue.

"With all due respect Mr. Minister, I think the government has to play a little bit of catch-up. I think it's quite clear that in this case the people are ahead of the government," she said.

Renner has insisted on the province's commitment to intensity targets, at least in the short term. He warned Wednesday that moving to absolute reductions too quickly could be a recipe for failure.

"We are committed to absolute reductions, but I am not prepared to make commitments that I am not convinced can be kept."

Renner said he doesn't completely reject the call for absolute reduction targets, but the province may not be prepared to set those targets for 10 or 20 years.

Lindsay Telfer, a spokeswoman for the Sierra Club, said the survey results suggest Albertans want the government to clamp down on emissions in the next five to seven years.

Renner is planning to have a final report on Alberta's climate change strategy ready to be released this fall.

Vern Hartwell, the former mayor of Strathcona County and chair of the Natural Resources Conservation Board, said the province should strike a balance between environmental and industry concerns.

"Alberta is actually producing all the gasoline you might say for probably 12 or 15 million people. We are taking the hit as far as Albertans for this and I would like to see some sort of a balance that the final users of the fuel would have the ability to be of assistance to meet our emissions goals."