Some premiers would rather ‘complain’ than make carbon price alternative: Trudeau

globalnews.ca:

Andrew Furey is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call an “emergency meeting of leaders from across the country” to talk about potential alternatives to the federal carbon price increasing to $80 per tonne.When asked about the call for a meeting, Trudeau said that provinces have always had the ability to come up with their own alternative plans that include the minimum carbon price.“So, all those premiers that are busy complaining about the price on pollution but not putting forward a concrete alternative that they think would be better for their communities are just playing politics,” Trudeau said at a news conference in Scarborough, Ont.“Every province has the opportunity to put forward its own plan as long as they are fighting climate change to the same level that we’re asking all other Canadians to do. That’s what a federal backstop is.

But we’re not seeing detailed plans from the premiers on this. They’d much rather try to complain about it and make political hay out of this.”Trudeau concluded by saying that the carbon price is expected to contribute to a third of Canada’s emission reduction for 2030 and rebate cheques are set to go out on April 15.The annual increase took effect on Monday, rising from $65 per tonne.

At the pumps, this translates to the carbon price on fuel rising from about $0.14 to almost $0.18.“The threat of climate change is pressing. There is wide consensus that decarbonization is imperative; no serious counter arguments remain.

The only question is how best, at this time, to do so. Realizing our shared climate goals depends on an orderly green transition that brings society alongside instead of fueling dissent,” Furey wrote in a letter posted on X.“I am grateful you have expressed