Carney says Trudeau-era climate plan was too expensive and divisive

Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a new video that the Liberal climate plan he inherited from the Trudeau government was not sustainable and would have been too costly for Canadians already facing affordability pressures. Carney said the earlier approach was well intentioned but argued that the world has changed since 2015. He said the government’s revised direction reflects new economic and geopolitical realities, including energy security concerns and the impact of the war involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. He also acknowledged that Canada’s emissions will likely be higher in the coming years than they would have been under the previous plan, citing the government’s removal of the consumer carbon price and an emissions cap for the oil and gas sector. At the same time, he said Canada will focus on electrification, cleaner power generation, and expanding the electricity grid. Environmental groups criticized the government for continuing to support fossil fuel exports while lacking a detailed climate plan that aligns with Canada’s emissions targets. Carney said Canada still needs conventional oil and gas in the near term, but argued that production should be done as sustainably as possible while the country works toward lower emissions.