A historic ruling in Canada allows the federal government to supersede the efforts of provinces in fighting the causes of climate change.
"The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that the federal government has the power to impose a minimum carbon price across the country in the name of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 'as a matter of national concern,'" reports Alex Ballingall.
The ruling upholds the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act after legal challenges from the provincial governments of Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
"The court found that provinces are also limited in their ability to combat the threat of climate change alone, and that Canada’s overall effort to reduce emissions would be jeopardized if any one province refused to take part in carbon pricing schemes with a minimum level of stringency," explains Ballinghall.
According to Ballingall, "The decision is a victory for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, who have staked the success of their climate plan on Ottawa’s authority to ensure there is a minimum carbon price in all provinces and territories."
The article includes more detail about the individual members of the court, which decided the matter with six members ruling in favor of the law and three ruling against.
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