By Nia Williams
CALGARY, Alberta, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Canadian province
of Alberta, the biggest source of U.S. oil imports, announced
the members of its climate change policy review panel on Friday,
part of its pledge to implement new rules on greenhouse gas
reductions.
Environment Minister Shannon Phillips said the panel would
offer recommendations to the government by early November, ahead
of a key United Nations climate change conference in Paris in
December, but did not say when new GHG targets are likely to
come into effect.
The five members of the panel are University of Alberta
energy economist Andrew Leach, former Suncor Energy SU.TO
executive Gord Lambert, Enbridge Inc ENB.TO executive Linda
Coady, Pembina Institute board member Stephanie Cairns and
Angela Adams, a Metis Fort McMurray school district trustee.
Alberta's oil sands are Canada's fastest-growing source of
carbon emissions and the province has faced harsh international
criticism for what has been perceived as lax oversight of the
oil sands industry.
The left-leaning New Democratic Party government of Alberta
was elected in May on a platform that included promises to
review climate change policy and the size of royalties resource
companies pay to the province.
Those pledges have sparked concern among many oil and gas
producers that new government policies will lead to rising costs
at a time when global crude prices are tumbling, and Phillips
sought to reassure industry there would be no surprises.
"What we need to do is take a clear-eyed look at the Alberta
economy and design our targets and our pricing framework around
that," she said.
Phillips said the panel will consult with industry, the
general public and aboriginal communities as part of its review.
She criticized previous Conservatives governments, which held
power in Alberta for 44 consecutive years, for failing to take
action on emissions.
"In the past we have had commitments to targets that have
not been credible and action to reach those targets has not been
realistic," she said.
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers said it had
confidence in the panel announced on Friday and would
participate fully in the climate change review process.
"The Alberta government wants to do more to address climate
change - but it wants to grow the oil and gas industry, too. I
believe we can find a balanced approach that achieves both,"
said CAPP President and Chief Executive Officer Tim McMillan.
(Editing by Peter Galloway)