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To do this, all Notley has to do is think like a business, and look for timely, strategic acquisitions by government, but beyond its own provincial borders.

One potential acquisition target can be found as close as B.C., — Teck Resources.

Teck’s mines produce 25 to 30 million tonnes of coal per year for use in overseas steelmaking. When burned, that coal produces 60 to 70 million tonnes of CO2 per year that goes into the atmosphere.

Teck’s current market cap is $3 billion, with about a third of its assets in coal. So, for a one-time, $1-billion expenditure, the Alberta government could buy all of Teck’s coal assets, to shut them down immediately.

That approach would be crazy for a corporation, but not for the government, which has no profit mandate. Notley’s only goal would be to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, while putting Alberta’s interests first, by buying and closing a largely B.C.-based carbon source.

Here’s the kicker: The CO2 reduced by shuttering just those assets equals 60 to 70 million tonnes, which exceeds the total target of 50 million tonnes by 2030. Just think of the ways that money could be saved, or put towards real green initiatives.

This approach is a viable response to organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation, which states “since climate change is a global problem, an emission reduction made elsewhere has the same positive effect as one made locally.”

So, does Notley’s plan, which delays making a real climate impact for many years, while wasting billions of dollars, seem like climate leadership to you?