According to the Alberta Journal, that province’s heavy carbon dioxide producers can now start offsetting using Alberta’s nascent registry system.

Alberta’s heaviest emitters are required to reduce their emissions intensity – their carbon dioxide emissions per unit of production – by 12 per cent below a baseline set between 2003 and 2005.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Alberta’s refusal to take part in a western climate change scheme is facing a back-door assault from carbon market enthusiasts.

Today in Salt Lake City, the increasingly powerful alliance of the Western Climate Initiative is gathering to fine-tune a plan that aims to put a price on electricity imports – including energy from Alberta’s coal-fired power plants.

Last year the Alberta Electric System Operator placed a cap on the amount of wind power supplied to the grid. This cap will be lifted as a move to encourage planned wind projects worth $6.6 billion.

“A high-speed train linking Calgary and Edmonton could be a silver bullet in Alberta’s overall strategy to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, Premier Ed Stelmach said yesterday.” He’s also planning for action to incorporate environmental ethics with development.

“The Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) and Alberta Environment (AENV) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to step up joint efforts to protect groundwater resources in the province.”

A study by the Pembina Institute and the World Wildlife Fund has given 9 out of 10 Alberta oilsands producers a failing grade for their environmental performance. They were measured and rated for their environmental management, land impacts, air pollution, water use and management of greenhouse gases.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Canada will target a 6% decrease below 1990 levels over the next four years. As Alberta reveals its new provincial goals, it is less stringent compare to Canada’s obligations. Alberta plans a 14% reduction below 2005 levels by 2050.

“The environmental groups – ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Environmental Defence and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee – are opposed to any increase in activity in extracting oil from the sandy forests of northern Alberta. They say the federal government should impose caps on emissions from oil-sands development or shut down the northern Alberta industry.”

A poll by Environmental Defense shows that 79% of Canadians and 81% of Albertans agree that carbon emissions should be regulated and frozen at 2007 levels.

Climate change will put a strain on Alberta’s availability of freshwater, as the province is already experiencing higher average rates of evaporation compare to precipitation. Alberta only shares 2.2% of Canada’s freshwater but 80% of that is in the north where the big water consumers are the oil-sand producers.