TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada is not interested in subsidies for future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of ongoing projects, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in a television interview on Sunday. said.
Countries such as Greece, Germany and Japan have expressed interest in purchasing Canadian LNG as the United States suspends expansion of U.S. LNG exports.
“The government is opposed to spending government money on inefficient fossil fuel subsidies…We have no interest in investing in LNG facilities,” Wilkinson said on CTV. “That's the role of the private sector. The private sector needs to evaluate the business case and make the investment.”
The minister said LNG production must rely on clean electricity to meet 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's federal government has set a goal to reduce gas emissions by 2030, and requires any new LNG proposals to reach net-zero emissions within the same time frame.
Prime Minister Trudeau highlighted the economic challenges of a new project to export LNG from Canada's Atlantic coast to Europe and the need to decarbonize the world's energy supply to combat climate change.
Following U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to pause expanded U.S. LNG exports, pressure is mounting on the governments of British Columbia and Canada to take similar action from environmental groups. may be politically difficult to follow.
(Reporting by Nivedita Bal in Toronto; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
