SaskPower accused of violating Charter rights, lawsuit filed
By Brooke Kruger Global News
Posted April 25, 2023 3:46 pm EST
U.S. Senator visits SaskPower’s Boundary Dam to tour state-of-the-art carbon capture and storage project in Saskatchewan.
SaskPower's largest plant is located near Estevan, Saskatchewan and is fitted with carbon capture and storage capabilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. File / Global News
LEAVE A COMMENT
SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK
SHARE THIS ITEM VIA WHATSAPP
SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL
SHARE THIS ITEM ON TWITTER
SHARE THIS ITEM ON REDDIT
SHARE THIS ITEM ON PINTEREST
SHARE THIS ITEM ON LINKEDIN
Eight Saskatchewan applicants have filed a lawsuit against SaskPower, Crown Investments, and the Saskatchewan Government, saying they aren’t doing enough to curb climate change.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
“The coal to gas transition may reduce emissions, but it continues to cause dangerous climate change and is not compatible with a net zero electricity system,†read a media advisory from Sustainable Saskatchewan. “We are challenging SaskPower in court because they continue to pursue business as usual.
“Government action to expand gas-fired electricity generation violates our Charter rights to life, security of person, and equality and that the government has a duty to mitigate its emissions. The applicants are asking the court to order SaskPower to set a reasonable target to decarbonize and achieve Net-zero emissions by 2035.â€
The applicants, including Climate Justice Saskatoon, filed the suit at the Court of King’s Bench on March 31.
“We (Saskatchewan) are number one in per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Canada,†said applicant and long-time environmentalist Lynn Oliphant during an online media conference Tuesday. “They still have their foot on the accelerator.â€
He noted the new gas-fired electricity plant being built near Moose Jaw and another planned near Lanigan.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s like we are driving 100 miles per hour on the wrong side of the highway.â€
Glenn Wright, lawyer for the applicants, said scenarios similar to this have played out in other provinces over the last decade.
“There has never been a definite win or a definite loss,†Wright said. “We are filing this case because this is an important issue in all of Saskatchewan. With so many of these strategic litigation pieces, you see that often the courts may not give a decisive win, but it helps to drive the public narrative about our common future and the choices we are making.
By Brooke Kruger Global News
Posted April 25, 2023 3:46 pm EST
U.S. Senator visits SaskPower’s Boundary Dam to tour state-of-the-art carbon capture and storage project in Saskatchewan.
SaskPower's largest plant is located near Estevan, Saskatchewan and is fitted with carbon capture and storage capabilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. File / Global News
LEAVE A COMMENT
SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK
SHARE THIS ITEM VIA WHATSAPP
SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL
SHARE THIS ITEM ON TWITTER
SHARE THIS ITEM ON REDDIT
SHARE THIS ITEM ON PINTEREST
SHARE THIS ITEM ON LINKEDIN
Eight Saskatchewan applicants have filed a lawsuit against SaskPower, Crown Investments, and the Saskatchewan Government, saying they aren’t doing enough to curb climate change.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
“The coal to gas transition may reduce emissions, but it continues to cause dangerous climate change and is not compatible with a net zero electricity system,†read a media advisory from Sustainable Saskatchewan. “We are challenging SaskPower in court because they continue to pursue business as usual.
“Government action to expand gas-fired electricity generation violates our Charter rights to life, security of person, and equality and that the government has a duty to mitigate its emissions. The applicants are asking the court to order SaskPower to set a reasonable target to decarbonize and achieve Net-zero emissions by 2035.â€
The applicants, including Climate Justice Saskatoon, filed the suit at the Court of King’s Bench on March 31.
“We (Saskatchewan) are number one in per capita greenhouse gas emissions in Canada,†said applicant and long-time environmentalist Lynn Oliphant during an online media conference Tuesday. “They still have their foot on the accelerator.â€
He noted the new gas-fired electricity plant being built near Moose Jaw and another planned near Lanigan.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s like we are driving 100 miles per hour on the wrong side of the highway.â€
Glenn Wright, lawyer for the applicants, said scenarios similar to this have played out in other provinces over the last decade.
“There has never been a definite win or a definite loss,†Wright said. “We are filing this case because this is an important issue in all of Saskatchewan. With so many of these strategic litigation pieces, you see that often the courts may not give a decisive win, but it helps to drive the public narrative about our common future and the choices we are making.
Comment