Sask. Green Party leader Shawn Setyo advocates for carbon tax alternative

Shawn Setyo, leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, says Saskatchewan should move away from its heavy reliance on fossil fuels and move to greener pastures.

The party has a new administration and is still trying to find its feet,Setyo said, but the group is already working toward developing a sound environmental policy which is specifically crafted for Saskatchewan. Setyo said the party has been consulting people on the ground and industry experts to develop a plan with a focus on renewable energy and green initiatives.

Nothing is set in concrete but Setyo would like to look at a carbon fee and dividend approach, rather than a carbon tax. Under a carbon fee and dividend approach, the government would charge polluters directly rather than taxing at the fuel pumps, for example.

"No money would be put into government coffers," Setyo said. "It would be redistributed with the people of Saskatchewan and help transition toward a green economy."

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That money, taken from the heavy polluters of the province,could then be used to build green infrastructure or act as an incentive forentrepreneurs to take ventures in to green energy.

Setyo isn't a fan of the carbon tax.

"I feel that Sask. should have its own say in how a carbon scheme would be put into place and not have to rely on the federal government imposing their rules upon Saskatchewan," Setyo said. "I feel there's something inherently wrong with that."

That's not to say Setyo agrees with Premier Brad Wall's ideas on the carbon tax.

Under Setyo's leadership, the Green Party has been critical of Wall's approach and staunch opposition to a carbon tax, calling the provincial government's ventures such as the carbon capture and storage project "unrealistic," "wastefully expensiveand ineffective."

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Saskatchewan agriculture

Carbon emissions from the agriculture industry are not that heavy, Setyo said.

Saskatchewan's green house gas emissions through the agriculture sector are closer to 16 per cent while Canada was 9.9 in 2014.

The Green Party has ideas for industry-specific plans, he said. Fossil fuel industry would have one plan while the agriculture industry would have a different plan, he said.

"The issues with agriculture aren't carbon specific. It's more of the methane emissions," Setyo said. "These chemicals can be dealt with, with other plans and not have to be subject to a carbon tax per se."

Setyo said he has reached out to industry experts and those who understand the sector to devise a plan to mitigate agriculture emissions without having those involved in agriculturepay the price of a carbon tax.

"We do understand that farming is a big sector in Saskatchewan. The last thing we want to do is to have them pay an extra tax," Setyo said.

He described the ideas as a work in progress.