Prairie Resilience: A Made-In-Saskatchewan Climate Change Strategy Brings Opportunities

In the Saskatchewan Strategy, introduced the first week in December after much delay, the Province of Saskatchewan is preparing to give large emitters, primarily in the agriculture, oil & gas and mining industries, the most varied compliance options anywhere in Canada. The many options available include:

• Purchasing a carbon offset, representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions;
• Paying into a technology fund;
• Making improvements at facilities to reduce emissions intensity;
• Using best performance credits; or
• Utilizing a market mechanism outlined in the Paris Accord, such as an internationally transferred mitigation outcome.

The government has set a date of January 1, 2019 for the Saskatchewan Strategy to be fully implemented. The National Projects Group at Miller Thomson works with a number of entities which will benefit from opportunities arising from this strategy. These opportunities are discussed in detail below.