Canada's energy jobs transition bill sparks discord in oil heartland:
Pipelines run at the McKay River Suncor oil sands in-situ operations near Fort McMurray, Alberta, September 17, 2014. REUTERS/Todd Korol
Controversy is brewing in Canada's western oil patch over federal government legislation meant to help the fossil fuel labor force transition to green energy. Union and community leaders are warning that politicization of the Just Transition bill obscures the needs of workers. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is expected to table its long-awaited workforce transition bill this spring, ahead of economic changes expected as they pursue ambitious goals to slash climate-warming emissions. The government of Alberta, Canada's main crude-producing province, says the legislation will dismantle the oil and gas industry that makes up 5% of Canada's GDP. Alberta's Conservative Premier Danielle Smith is using the threat of job losses to attack Trudeau and rally her conservative base, although she has been criticized for misinterpreting how many jobs may be at risk. The Trudeau government is trying to soothe concerns about the bill, first promised in 2019. According to Gil McGowan, President of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), if done right the bill could incentivise technologies like carbon capture and hydrogen.
UAE Sparks Backlash After Appointing Oil Company Chief to Lead UN Climate Talks COP28:
Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the Emirati Minister of State and the CEO of Abu Dhabi’s state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., attends the opening ceremony of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Nov. 11, 2019.
On Thursday, the United Arab Emirates named the CEO of a state-run oil company who oversees renewable energy projects to be the president of the upcoming United Nations climate negotiations in Dubai. This has drawn criticism from activists. Authorities nominated Sultan al-Jaber, a trusted confidant of UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who leads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. The Emirates' state-run WAM quoted al-Jaber, a 49-year-old longtime climate envoy, as calling for ”a pragmatic, realistic and solutions-oriented approach" to limit global warming to just 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. Al-Jaber's nomination, however, drew immediate criticism as many are worried over his credibility and qualifications for a role typically held by seasoned diplomats.
Eritrean troops seen leaving towns in Ethiopia's Tigray:
Local farmers walk next to a tank of alledged Eritrean army that is abandoned along the road in Dansa, southwest of Mekele in Tigray region, Ethiopia. (File photo: AFP)
Eritrean forces were seen withdrawing from towns in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray, where they had been fighting alongside Ethiopia's government troops against rebels. A cease-fire agreed upon in November brought calm to the restive region after a nearly two-year war. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels called for the withdrawal of troops from Eritrea, but some Eritrean fighters remained deployed throughout the area. The United States and the European Union had also urged Eritrea to pull back its troops. Media reports published Sunday quoted local residents as saying that convoys of Eritrean troops had been leaving the towns of Shire and Adwa, though the claim could not be independently verified due to the limited access to Tigray.
Sources:
Canada's energy jobs transition bill sparks discord in oil heartland | Reuters
UAE Sparks Backlash After Appointing Oil Company Chief to Lead UN Climate Talks COP28 | NBC News
Eritrean troops seen leaving towns in Ethiopia's Tigray – DW – 01/22/2023