“Today marks a clear victory for Albertans.

"Alberta’s government identified the federal electric vehicle mandate as one of the nine bad federal laws and policies that were hurting our economy, driving up costs and interfering in areas of provincial jurisdiction. We said from the beginning that this policy was bad for Alberta and bad for Canada. Now, the federal government is scrapping it, thanks in large part to our government’s advocacy.

“From the day this mandate was imposed, Alberta warned it was unrealistic, unaffordable and unworkable. It would have taken choices away from families, imposed unnecessary costs on consumers and businesses, and placed enormous new demands on provincial electricity grids without the infrastructure required to support it.

“The removal of the EV mandate is the latest example of Ottawa reconsidering policies Alberta has consistently opposed. It builds on the commitment from the federal government not to proceed with a federal oil and gas emissions cap, abeyance of the federal Clean Electricity Regulations, an agreement-in-principle allowing Alberta to continue regulating methane under its existing system, Impact Assessment Agreement to streamline project reviews, and the removal of greenwashing provisions in the Competition Act.

“Albertans should be free to choose the vehicle that works best for their family, their business and their budget. Governments should set achievable environmental outcomes and allow consumers, businesses and innovators to determine the best technologies to meet them, not dictate what Canadians can and cannot drive.

“Alberta is already delivering real emissions reductions without sacrificing affordability or economic growth. Since 2019, Alberta’s overall emissions have declined 9 per cent, while transportation emissions have fallen 17 per cent.

“We support reducing transportation emissions and giving Albertans lower-emissions options. But environmental policy must be practical, achievable and technology-neutral. The EV mandate failed that test.

“While today’s decision is an important step toward resetting the relationship between Alberta and the federal government, there still more work to do.

“We will also closely analyze Ottawa’s proposed replacement vehicle-emissions regulations to ensure the federal government does not simply recreate the EV mandate under another name.

“Alberta fought this mandate from the beginning. Today, common sense prevailed.”