OTTAWA: Canada's federal government and its provinces will present a united front on combating greenhouse gas emissions at the Paris climate summit which begins next week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
After a meeting with the premiers of Canada's provinces -- the first such gathering in more than six years -- Trudeau said that each was ready to act together to fight climate change.
Without changing the goals set by the previous conservative government -- to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared with 2005 -- Trudeau said he wanted to work in tandem with the provinces.
"We will continue over the next 90 days after Paris to ensure we come forward together not just with strong targets but also a with credible plan to achieve these targets," he said, speaking Monday after the meeting.
"It's not enough just to have a target, we need to have a plan to achieve that target," he said, surrounded by the provincial leaders.
The provinces will follow different paths based on their own economic situations in order to achieve their carbon-reducing targets.
Oil-rich Alberta said Sunday it had decided to adopt a tax on carbon emissions.
But in the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan, conservative Premier Brad Wall expressed concern about the economic impact of implementing carbon-cutting measures amid low oil prices.
"Tens of thousands of Canadians have been laid off of their jobs in that sector and there is prospect for more difficult news if prices stay low," he said.
"As we prepare for Paris and to present a constructive and national front to the world we need to be mindful of that fact," he said.
The November 30-December 11 conference is tasked with signing the first-ever truly universal pact to curb global warming, with a total of 147 heads of state and government so far slated to attend.
Trudeau, 43, was sworn in as Canada's new prime minister on November 4.
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