Canada releases framework to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies

investing.com:

By Nia Williams

(Reuters) -Canada on Monday released a framework for eliminating inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, making it the first G20 country to deliver on a 2009 commitment to rationalise and phase out government support for the sector.

Climate policy analysts said the framework was an important step forward, but fell short in continuing to allow government support for oil and gas projects that plan to reduce emissions through technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The framework will apply to existing tax measures and 129 non-tax measures, but Ottawa will not cancel ongoing multi-year subsidy agreements that are already in place.

The government has not put a dollar value on the subsidies impacted, or published an inventory of exactly which subsidies are included.

«This ensures that the only federal support for oil and gas goes to projects that decarbonize the sector and result in significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions,» federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told a press conference.

Fossil fuel actives will be exempt from the framework if they fall into one of six categories: enabling significant carbon emissions reductions, supporting clean energy, providing essential energy to a remote community or short-term support for an emergency response, supporting Indigenous participation in fossil fuel activities or are projects that have a credible plan to reach net-zero by 2030.

Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies is part of a deal signed between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberal and the New Democratic Party (NDP), formalising NDP support.

The NDP critic for Climate Change and Environment, Laurel Collins, said the new rules did not go far enough.

«While we know that we had