The NDP government is putting $4.5 million toward a new advertising campaign for its climate change plan, spending that comes on top of $4.4 million for its original promotion campaign for the environmental initiative.

Kyle Ferguson, press secretary to Environment Minister Shannon Phillips, said in an email Wednesday that the radio and television campaign launched this week will contain new information on areas such as "energy efficiency grants, market access, federal actions and rural impacts."

Mobile users can watch one of the 1-minute spots on YouTube here.

"The Climate Leadership Plan is the province’s most significant policy response in decades and will affect all Albertans. Albertans have been asking about what the plan means to them. Therefore government is undertaking a $4.5 million advertising campaign, running until the end of March," said Ferguson.

The government's new carbon tax on consumers comes into effect on Jan. 1.

Read more: Alberta urged to avoid a blunder from Down Under: The carbon tax

Also: Albertans to Notley NDP: We still don't want your carbon tax

The Notley government, which is currently projecting a $10.8 billion deficit for the 2016-17 budget year, has come under heavy fire for the $4.4 million it spent on its original advertising campaign for the climate strategy.

WIldrose MLA Todd Loewen said in June that "if Albertans were buying this carbon tax thing, the government wouldn't have to pay so much to sell it to them."

They government has also been criticized for $750,000 on ads for the last budget, $210,000 for a campaign touting Bill 6 farm safety legislation and $100,000 for advertisements laying out the case for its power purchase arrangements lawsuit.

jwood@postmedia.com