A piece concerning Alberta’s Premier, from a newsletter is worth attention. It is published by an international non-governmental organization. Toronto Star reports the Danielle Smith convoy that travelled to Dubai for the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference actually involved 150 government and petroleum industry representatives.

Air Canada quotes a single return air fare of about $3,000. Two weeks of modest accommodation in the UAE would add another $6,000. Meals, entertainment and incidentals for two weeks probably cost another $4,000 for each person. Add the salaries and fringe costs for this group and pretty soon, real money is involved. But, of course, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the hundreds of billions of dollars that climate change is costing.

While the world is here to achieve a fossil fuel phase-out, Smith is here to deny, delay and distract on behalf of the oil and gas industry. ECO knows Canada as an underperforming climate laggard, but few understand the root cause of its stagnation: a fierce oil & gas lobby that has captured obstructionist petro-provinces.

ECO has seen some strange guests attend COP over the years. But this Friday morning, ECO was especially concerned about one. Swaddled by a 100-person convoy of oil crony delegates, the Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta Danielle Smith arrived at COP28.

Smith, the leader of the province known for its tar sands, is an especially hostile actor. ECO hears from its Canadian and Albertan friends that Smith is effectively attempting to hold their federal government hostage, dragging every climate policy through court, and placing a moratorium on renewable energy projects, all while greenlighting carbon bombs and false solutions at home. At COP, Smith will grandstand her province’s tepid, targetless climate “plans”, but ECO won’t lose sight of Smith’s real agenda.

Smith is here to puncture holes in Article 6, vying to collect carbon credits for expansion of Liquified Natural Gas and expand its international markets. When discussing COP28 in a press conference on Tuesday, Smith equated the phase-out of fossil fuels to the phase-out of energy production, period.

It seems as though this fossil has forgotten about renewable energy production entirely. ECO wasn’t surprised to hear of her attempts to block Alberta’s booming clean electricity sector, though it’s a puzzling decision for someone who claims to be a friend to industry and investment.

Smith is here to buy Big Oil precious time with false solutions like Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). The proof is in the pudding: while Alberta approves massive new subsidies for CCUS, they permit the destruction of carbon-dense peatlands, which already naturally hold at least triple the storage potential of CCUS.

Smith is here to subvert the Canadian government’s efforts to meet its Paris commitment, both by fighting a much-needed and long-overdue cap on the oil and gas industry’s emissions, the sector responsible for an incredible 28% of Canada’s emissions (and growing), and by threatening to out the country’s law on clean electricity.

Sadly, she’s also here to subvert the wishes of the majority of people in her province who want economic diversification away from oil and gas dependency – including Indigenous nations whose lands, waters, and health are threatened by toxic tailings spills.

Like all leaders who represent fossil-captured governments, Smith is here at COP28 to sacrifice a climate-safe future, sling political mud and enrich her oil buddies. ECO thinks it’s time industry-captured politicians like Smith stayed home.

See the entire document below

Not long ago, Alberta’s tar sands promoters labeled as unethical the oil produced by “tyrannical dictatorships” in the Middle East. Danielle Smith now sees those producers as allies in the efforts to slow the transition to clean energy and extend the life of fossil fuels.

Markham Hislop, Western Canada’s top energy journalist, wrote this:

As she demonstrated during the 24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary this September, the Premier has aligned Alberta with OPEC and Middle Eastern oil producing countries pushing a slow energy transition narrative. 

Energi Media

Another item by Markham Hislop includes this:

 My reporting over the past decade about the energy transition has convinced me that the clean energy technologies like wind, solar, electric transportation, and heat pumps have passed their inflection points and are now rocketing up the hockey stick part of the adoption S-curve. The global energy system is being transformed in real time.

But the average Canadian, especially the average Albertan, doesn’t have time for complex explanations about adoption curves. They prefer what Smith is selling. Simple, easy-to-understand bromides. This is where the Premier’s aw shucks style and big smile go a long way.

Smith can sell. She reminds me of the “salad shooter” guy who used to hawk kitchen appliances at the Prince Albert fair 30 years ago. He wore a vegetable slicer on his head while keeping up a steady stream of entertaining patter. 

DANIELLE SMITH’S POLITICAL CIRCUS IS A STRATEGY, NOT AN ACCIDENT

Today from BBC, about intentions of the nation hosting COP28.

The country hosting COP28 climate talks aimed at cutting fossil fuel emissions is massively ramping up its own oil production, the BBC has learned.

The United Arab Emirates’ state oil firm Adnoc may drill 42% more by 2030, according to analysts considered the international gold standard in oil market intelligence.

Between 2023 and 2050, only Saudi Arabia is expected to produce more...

COP28: Huge rise in oil drilling expected from hosts UAE

What’s being said behind closed doors at COP28: