Alberta wants pipelines. Ottawa wants proof it’s serious about climate action

Alberta push for pipelines and carbon capture will fail unless the province enacts a climate accountability law with binding targets and oversight

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If Alberta hopes to strike a “Grand Bargain” with Ottawa on climate, carbon capture and pipelines, it first needs to commit to a strong, legislated climate change accountability framework. Without it, the deal lacks credibility at home and abroad.

The “Grand Bargain,” as it has been described, is shorthand for a political trade-off: Alberta delivers on emissions reductions while Ottawa clears the way for pipeline and carbon capture development.

Alberta’s current climate strategy, the Emissions Reduction and Energy Development (ERED) policy, falls short because it lacks clear implementation plans, sector targets and independent oversight.

Released in April 2023, ERED is the Alberta government’s official climate strategy, replacing earlier plans under previous governments. Two years later, it still has no overall implementation plan, no sector-by-sector roadmaps, and no public monitoring and reporting system.

Annual progress reports are missing, as are periodic assessments by the auditor general and an independent advisory body. ERED lacks the legislated accountability frameworks that underpin credible climate strategies in other jurisdictions, including the federal government.

Other provinces have already moved in this direction. British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia have legislated climate accountability laws that set emissions targets, mandate regular progress reports and require government to respond to expert advice. Ottawa’s own framework does the same.

If Alberta continues to lag behind, it risks being seen as an outlier in Confederation, a province asking for economic concessions without proving it can deliver environmental commitments.

That gap threatens both Alberta’s reputation and its bargaining power. Without legislated accountability, the province risks losing Ottawa’s support for pipelines and carbon capture projects, along with private investment from companies under pressure to prove climate compliance.

The stakes go beyond climate credibility. Resource royalties, pipeline toll revenues and thousands of energy and construction jobs depend on confidence that Alberta can meet its emissions promises.

The risks of falling short are real. In late 2023, Ontario’s auditor general reported that the province had no credible plan to meet its 2030 emissions target and that existing policies would fall far short. That failing grade damaged Ontario’s climate credibility and weakened its claim to be doing its fair share. Alberta could face the same outcome if it continues without a legislated framework.

What would a strong accountability framework look like? The Canadian Climate Institute, an independent policy research organization that provides expert analysis and economic modelling, has identified best practices that point to several key elements Alberta should legislate:

• A binding commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
• Short- and medium-term milestones for 2030, 2035, 2040 and 2045
• Mandatory sector and overall implementation action plans, developed with experts and stakeholders
• Revised action plans if targets are missed, with clear explanations of how excess emissions will be addressed
• Transparent reporting, including detailed annual progress reports
• Rigorous emissions modelling and analysis so Albertans can evaluate progress
• Required government responses to recommendations from independent oversight bodies, including the auditor general and a proposed Alberta Carbon Neutrality Advisory Panel

Embedding these elements in law would ensure actions are measured, progress is transparent and the government is accountable to Albertans. It would also place Alberta on the same footing as other provinces, showing Ottawa and international investors that the province is serious about balancing energy development with climate responsibility.

A “Grand Bargain” on climate, carbon capture and pipelines will not succeed without this foundation. The time for Alberta to act is now, by introducing and passing an Alberta Climate Change Accountability Act in the fall 2025 session of the legislature.

Lennie Kaplan is a former senior manager in the Fiscal and Economic Policy Division of Alberta’s Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance. During his tenure, he focused, among other duties, on developing meaningful options to reform federal-provincial fiscal arrangements.