Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invited Canada鈥檚 10 premiers and three territorial leaders to a meeting in Ottawa on Nov. 23, roughly one week before they will head to Paris for a global conference on climate change.
The meeting will be the first between the first ministers and a prime minister since Stephen Harper hosted a round-table on the economy in January 2009.
At the top of the agenda will be a discussion of 鈥渢he kind of strong and cohesive message we will be delivering as Canadians in Paris at the very important COP21 conference,鈥� Trudeau said.
COP21 is the first major UN-sponsored climate change conference since the 2009 Copenhagen Accord, where Canada committed to reducing emissions 17 per cent by 2020 -- a target experts agree the country will not meet.
Provincial premiers have long expressed disagreements on how to tackle climate change.
Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said Thursday that he is optimistic the meeting with Trudeau will help the premiers find 鈥渃ommon ground鈥� ahead of Paris.
鈥淓very province will have its own approach on this and that is to be expected in a federation,鈥�
鈥淏ut the major point is that we find a way forward together and show that we鈥檙e collaborating and cooperating.鈥�
Selinger suggested opportunities for reducing emissions can be found while creating 鈥済reen jobs鈥� in transportation, agriculture and in flood mitigation.
鈥淚ncentives will be important,鈥� he added. 鈥淧articularly if the province is under some economic stress.鈥�
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel said of the meeting that 鈥渄ialogue is a good thing,鈥� but that she is concerned the climate policies could hurt the economy.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of folks here in Calgary that are concerned about the economy, that are out of work,鈥� she told Power Play.
鈥淭he word 鈥榞reen jobs鈥� can be code for killing jobs in the energy sector,鈥� she added.
Quebec and Ontario have agreed on a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions, British Columbia has had a carbon tax since 2008, and Alberta is currently reviewing its options.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in October that energy efficiency and reducing the amount of coal burned for electricity could be part of its solution.
Notley promised her province鈥檚 climate policy would ensure 鈥渟ustainable and economically healthy growth鈥� in the energy sector, which has recently faced a wave of job cuts due to dropping oil prices.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said in October that he sees Trudeau鈥檚 approach as 鈥減ositive,鈥� but that he wants to make sure 鈥渨hatever Canada is committing to doesn鈥檛 kneecap our economy in the west.鈥�
The federal government has not publicly announced a target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said recently that the Conservative鈥檚 policy of a 30 per cent reduction below 2005 levels by 2030 should be considered 鈥渢he floor.鈥�
With files from The Canadian Press
