Canada climate battle looms

The conservative leader of Canada’s energy-rich Alberta province has put herself on a collision course with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over climate policies that would weigh on its massive fossil fuel industry.

Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP), defeated left-leaning New Democratic Party leader Rachel Notley in an election on Monday and immediately targeted Trudeau, threatening the country’s ambitious climate goals.

Smith warned federal climate policies will destroy tens of thousands of jobs in the oil and gas sector, which contributes more than 20 percent to Alberta’s gross domestic product.

Trudeau’s government is aiming to cut climate-warming carbon emissions by 40-45 percent by 2030 but will struggle to meet that target without significant reductions from Alberta, Canada’s highest polluting province.