The Trudeau Liberals and climate alarmists found themselves out of touch during the recent world climate conference in Dubai. In this oil-rich United Arab Emirates capital, their unrealistic views collided with economic and political realities, exposing the flaws in their climate agenda, including Environment Minister Steve Guilbeault’s ambitious plans.
Guilbeault, in a fervor reminiscent of a losing general in a war, was advocating for numerous new emissions restrictions and caps during the conference. The Liberals now insist on a roughly one-third reduction of emissions from the oil and gas sector below 2019 levels by 2030.
However, Premier Danielle Smith, fresh from two major Federal Court victories, vehemently rejected these demands. She emphasized Alberta’s commitment to responsibly reduce emissions but refused to comply with Guilbeault’s radical and unconstitutional 2030 timeline. Smith stated, “We are not going to allow our production, which we own, to be shut in by federal edicts. This is not their jurisdiction.”
Even moderate voices like Trevor Tombe, an esteemed economics professor from the University of Calgary, criticized Guilbeault’s plan, calling it a “step backward for climate policy” and a convoluted approach that penalizes one sector while allowing others to lag behind.
Smith also criticized Guilbeault as arrogant and uncooperative, labeling him a menace to national unity. She believes that his imperious attitude should result in his removal from his position.
Guilbeault’s camp faced an initial setback in Dubai when it was revealed that a record 70,000 attendees would fly in for the conference, exposing the hypocrisy of climate alarmist elites who advocate emissions reductions for others but not for themselves.
At the conference, climate realists armed with sound science and reasonable policy options challenged the alarmists’ agenda. Credible climate scientists like Judith Curry and Richard Lindzen questioned the exaggeration of the global warming threat, a viewpoint even supported by Bill Gates, a major private funder of climate change research.
The most significant blow to the alarmist agenda came from Sultan Al Jaber, president of the COP28 conference and chief executive of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc. He emphasized that a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels would lead to a disastrous outcome for all, urging for a practical road map for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Interestingly, the UAE, Al Jaber’s country, is leading the way by planning to build four nuclear reactors, a highly effective source of abundant, reliable, zero-emission power. Surprisingly, the Trudeau Liberals have also embraced nuclear power, despite opposition from some alarmist groups, including Greenpeace and Guilbeault himself.
At COP28, a record number of countries, including Canada, committed to tripling nuclear power by 2050. However, this expansion will take decades, which is why countries like China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia reject a fossil fuel phaseout, unwilling to jeopardize their economies and push millions into poverty.
In reality, fossil fuels will remain a significant part of the global energy mix for decades. Failure to acknowledge this fact will continue to result in defeats for Guilbeault and his associates.