News
The latest news, editorials, and conversations shaping Alberta’s business environment.
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Should Canada Emulate the UK’s Net-Zero Pathway?
I am picking up some chatter within certain circles in Alberta and Canada that the UK’s net-zero framework is a plan to emulate. This position is ostensibly informed by an invitation-only whirlwind tour of handpicked UK net-zero projects and initiatives attended by a group of Canadians. My fellow Canadians were duly impressed by what they were shown and came away, after a few days, with the idea that the people and industries are united in a “Team UK” approach. There were several key “takeaways” from the tour but the top three included: an aggressive net-zero timeline that “everybody appears to be on board with”; the UK has a new type of increased decarbonized industrial production guided and driven by government industrial planning; and a serious concern with energy security.
I am picking up some chatter within certain circles in Alberta and Canada that the UK’s net-zero framework is a plan to emulate. This position is ostensibly informed by an invitation-only whirlwind tour of handpicked UK net-zero projects and initiatives attended by a group of Canadians. My fellow Canadians were duly impressed by what they were shown and came away, after a few days, with the idea that the people and industries are united in a “Team UK” approach. There were several key “takeaways” from the tour but the top three included: an aggressive net-zero timeline that “everybody appears to be on board with”; the UK has a new type of increased decarbonized industrial production guided and driven by government industrial planning; and a serious concern with energy security.
Alberta’s Pre-Election Budget Biggest Surprise? Fiscal Prudence!
Pre-election budgets are rarely admirable. Money is spread around like pixie dust to curry the support of voters and to knee-cap opposition parties by borrowing their ideas. To a certain extent, the pre-election good news budget that Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews delivered Tuesday follows this time-honoured political path, helped by $27.5 billion in oil and gas revenues in the 2022/23 fiscal year. And so, it is easy to chide the budget for populist policies like freezing insurance rates and capping post-secondary tuition fee increases at 2 per cent and for industrial policy measures for politically favoured industries (such as agricultural processing and film and television production). And there is the usual scattering of minor tax credits instead of a general cut in personal taxes – with no mention of a tax review geared to major reform, which the United Conservative Party proposed when it took office.
Pre-election budgets are rarely admirable. Money is spread around like pixie dust to curry the support of voters and to knee-cap opposition parties by borrowing their ideas. To a certain extent, the pre-election good news budget that Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews delivered Tuesday follows this time-honoured political path, helped by $27.5 billion in oil and gas revenues in the 2022/23 fiscal year. And so, it is easy to chide the budget for populist policies like freezing insurance rates and capping post-secondary tuition fee increases at 2 per cent and for industrial policy measures for politically favoured industries (such as agricultural processing and film and television production). And there is the usual scattering of minor tax credits instead of a general cut in personal taxes – with no mention of a tax review geared to major reform, which the United Conservative Party proposed when it took office.
AEG Podcast, Ep. 11 – Inside Education: Inspiring the Future of Energy and Environmental Stewardship
In this podcast episode, AEG interviews Steve MacIsaac from Inside Education, an education support organization in Alberta that provides teachers with tools and resources to inspire their students in the fields of energy, natural resources, and the environment. MacIsaac talks about the organization’s tagline “supporting teachers, inspiring students” and how they work to engage young people in solutions and innovations in the industry. He also shares his observations on the changing engagement of young students over the years, as well as the recent Provincial Youth Summit they held, where high school students were given opportunities to deep dive into issues related to energy, climate, and water, and to develop education and action plans to share with their peers in their communities. The episode ends with MacIsaac’s advice to young energy leaders on how to be engaged and inspired in the future of energy and environmental stewardship.
In this podcast episode, AEG interviews Steve MacIsaac from Inside Education, an education support organization in Alberta that provides teachers with tools and resources to inspire their students in the fields of energy, natural resources, and the environment. MacIsaac talks about the organization’s tagline “supporting teachers, inspiring students” and how they work to engage young people in solutions and innovations in the industry. He also shares his observations on the changing engagement of young students over the years, as well as the recent Provincial Youth Summit they held, where high school students were given opportunities to deep dive into issues related to energy, climate, and water, and to develop education and action plans to share with their peers in their communities. The episode ends with MacIsaac’s advice to young energy leaders on how to be engaged and inspired in the future of energy and environmental stewardship.