Canada Canada’s energy minister: Climate targets are science, not ‘religion’
Jonathan Wilkinson defends Liberal government’s record on energy transition.
“We are in a climate crisis,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said. “Underline the word crisis.” | Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
By Zi-Ann Lum
05/03/2023 05:00 AM EDT
OTTAWA — Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson rejects the idea that climate targets have evolved into an oil-and-gas-killing religion in Canada.
“It’s not a religion, it’s science — and we should be very clear about that,” Wilkinson said, responding to a comment former Conservative Cabinet minister Lisa Raitt made in an interview with POLITICO.
“We are in a climate crisis,” he said. “Underline the word crisis.”
Canada is a major oil and gas producer and faces the daunting challenge of making quick progress in decarbonizing its economy without eating its own industries. It’s tricky terrain for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.
Panned by the right for turning their back on the fossil fuel industry, the Liberals risk losing votes on the left over the perception they’re soft on Big Oil. Ottawa has recently ratcheted up its high-level engagement with the Biden administration, which is caught in a similar political situation.
The level of tribalism and polarization that has soured the political atmosphere in the United States has had business consequences, making policy uncertainty an unexpected source of financial leverage. Trudeau told an audience in New York City last week that the U.S. was willing to put “way more money” on the table for a new Volkswagen gigafactory, but in the end the German automaker felt more comfortable parking its cash in Canada. “Some of the uncertainty with respect to the political scene in the United States actually plays in Canada’s favor,” Wilkinson tells POLITICO. “We have a greater amount of political stability here.” Here’s more of our conversation — a transcript that has been edited for length and clarity.
SLX Price at posting:
$3.20 Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
A personalised tool to help users track selected stocks. Delivering real-time notifications on price updates, announcements, and performance stats on each to help make informed investment decisions.
(20min delay)