Canada
Canada's Supreme Court rules Ottawa's carbon tax against climate change as constitutional
Ottawa/IBNS: The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that federal Liberal government's carbon pricing regime is constitutional in a 6-3 decision, that allows Ottawa to go ahead with its plan to ensure every province and territory has a price on carbon to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
The carbon tax has been opposed by some provinces, including Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan with the argument that natural resources are in the provinces' jurisdiction under the Constitution.
Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Richard Wagner said the federal government has the freedom to impose minimum pricing standards because of the great threat of climate change which demands a coordinated national approach.
The federal government's argument that climate change is an urgent matter of national concern, which was agreed by Wagner, who said that it's constitutionally permissible for Ottawa to take the lead on a threat that crosses provincial boundaries.
"Climate change is real. It is caused by greenhouse gas emissions resulting from human activities, and it poses a grave threat to humanity's future," Wagner wrote.
(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
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