On November 27, 2025, a memorandum of understanding signed by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith fundamentally altered Canada’s climate policy trajectory. The agreement, framed as a necessity for national energy security, suspends the federal Clean Electricity Regulation in Alberta and dismantles the framework for clean energy collaboration. In its place, it explicitly paves the way for new oil pipeline infrastructure and expanded production for overseas export.
From an environmental and scientific perspective, this is not a policy adjustment but a profound reversal. The Clean Electricity Regulation was a cornerstone of Canada’s commitment to a net-zero grid by 2035. Its suspension in a province reliant on fossil fuel power guarantees prolonged greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector, directly undermining national targets. Furthermore, the sanctioning of new pipelines and production locks in decades of future emissions, betting against the global transition already underway.
The specific dangers are acute. Expanding oil and gas infrastructure inherently increases the risk of methane emissions—a potent greenhouse gas with over 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in its first two decades. The agreement’s reported exemption of environmental credits further dismantles accountability, creating a scenario where increased emissions are not just likely, but unpenalized. This moves Canada from a regime of measured regulation to one of voluntary restraint, a approach historically proven ineffective.
The human emotion underpinning the environmental response is one of betrayal and deep anxiety. This agreement represents a conscious choice to mortgage the future for present-day fossil fuel revenue. It is a decision to ignore clear scientific warnings for geopolitical and economic narratives of energy dominance. The environmental cost will be measured in rising emissions, degraded ecosystems, and a diminished, more vulnerable Canada.