Canada reaches carbon agreement with provinces

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, on 9 December 2016 announced that his government and the majority of Canada’s provinces had agreed on a national carbon pricing plan.

PM Trudeau has been working on a national carbon pricing plan with the provinces for months. He termed the framework agreement on the carbon tax as a historic pact. However, Canada's 10 provincial leaders are not unanimous in agreeing to Trudeau's carbon tax.

Brad Wall, Saskatchewan Premier, had refused to agree to the tax, while Manitoba’s premier said he hasn’t signed on yet because it wants more money for health care. On the other hand, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark hesitated at first before reaching a compromise.

As per reports, Trudeau wants to impose a national carbon tax which would rise to Canadian dollar 50 (USD 38) by 2022.

Comment: Trudeau’s plan to come up with the national carbon pricing is being haunted with the worries that the US is heading in an opposite direction. Worries are about the incoming administration of Donald Trump who ones called global warming a hoax. Trump said that he carries plans to abandon the US commitment to reduce carbon emissions as part of the international agreement signed in Paris in 2015.