Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith will be in Ottawa on Monday, February 5th. According to Politico, Premier Smith will be opening an Alberta office in Ottawa.

Over the past two months, Premier Smith has been vocal in her opposition to critical federal policies designed to combat climate change and its devastating impact on our economy, our communities and the environment. These policies include new clean electricity rules, the Sustainable Jobs Act and the proposed cap on emissions from the oil and gas industry – even though the proposed emissions cap has support from the majority of Albertans. Premier Smith also spent $8 million on an ad campaign designed to spread misinformation about clean electricity.

Premier Smith has attacked clean energy in her own province of Alberta. Her decision to impose a moratorium on renewable energy faced widespread opposition across the province, given its impact on the economy. Alberta generates almost 40 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions – more than any other province – and is the only province where emissions have gone up significantly over the past two decades.

While Premier Smith visits Ottawa, presumably to stir up opposition to the global effort to combat climate change, Alberta braces itself for a historic drought impacting every corner of the province, alongside what is expected to be a devastating fire season. Of course, these are both connected to warmer and drier conditions, which are a result of rising global temperatures.

Experts from Environmental Defence Canada will be available to comment on Premier Smith’s visit and the importance of critical federal climate change policies, such as the clean electric regulations, the Sustainable Jobs Act and an emissions cap on oil and gas pollution.

When: Monday, February 5th, and throughout the week

Who:

  • Julia Levin, Associate Director National Climate, Environmental Defence – Ottawa

  • Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager, Environmental Defence – Ottawa

  • Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy Program Manager, Environmental Defence – Ottawa and remote

Where: Ottawa, Ontario

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Allen Braude, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca