Statement - Government of Canada will defend federal climate action in the Supreme Court

EDMONTON, Feb. 24, 2020 Today, on the day the Court of Appeal of Alberta ruled on the constitutionality of Canada's Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson issued the following statement:

"The Government looks forward to the Supreme Court of Canada's deliberations and is confident that the price on pollution is within federal jurisdiction. Today's decision from the Court of Appeal of Alberta is one step in the process. We have already heard from the Ontario and Saskatchewan Courts of Appeal, both of which determined that the federal plan to put a price on pollution is constitutional.

"For too long, there has been too much pollution in Canada because it has been free to pollute. That is why the Government of Canada has committed to putting a price on carbon pollution, which will ensure cleaner air, fewer emissions, and more money in peoples' pockets through payment from the Climate Action Incentive. Starting early this year, a family of four in Alberta will receive $888 after they file their income tax return for 2019.

"Fighting climate change is among the Government's most important priorities, and the Government is committed to moving forward with all Canadians, including with the interveners who participated in this case?farmers, doctors, youth, economists, and Indigenous Peoples?to ensure a more sustainable planet for our kids and our grandkids."

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada