Manitoba PC party promises Canada’s highest biofuel standards

Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative party says that, if re-elected on Sept. 10, they would set the country’s highest biofuel requirements to reduce carbon emissions in the province.

Manitoba PC Leader Brian Pallister announced today his party would increase the ethanol requirement to 10 per cent and the biodiesel requirement to five per cent of fuels in 2020. The resulting fossil fuel displacement would reduce emissions by 375,000 tonnes over three years – the equivalent of taking 75,000 cars off the road or planting 25 million trees.

The new biodiesel mandate is expected to increase market demand of biodiesel to 72 million litres per year from its current 27 million litres, and ethanol consumption by 26 million litres to 176 million litres per year, the party stated in a news release.

“Our climate and green plan is the best in Canada and now we will have the highest biofuel standards in the country,” Pallister said in the release. “This directly benefits local canola growers and oilseed crushers who will supply the biofuels to help reduce emissions.”

The PC party’s plan does not include an imposed carbon tax in Manitoba.