The New Brunswick government has released its official climate change action plan, but it doesn’t include a price on carbon.

It’s the one recommendation by the climate change committee that the province has not included.

Premier Brian Gallant has promised that there will be some sort of price on carbon in the province, but he said his government needs more time to figure out what that will look like.

“We’re going to put a carbon pricing mechanism in place, allowing us to phase out coal by 2030,” said Gallant.

The province has outlined its intention to phase out coal as a source of electricity, but Gallant hasn't decided if the deadline will remain 2040, or if he will adapt the federal government's deadline of 2030.

“For us, there’s the status quo. The option there would have a phase-out of coal by 2040, which has always been the plan,” said the premier.

“The second option is that we work with our partners and we get significant support from them, partners such as the federal government, local partners, the private sector,” he added.

The government said the plan was based on recommendations from the select committee on climate change and that it will help the province combat climate change in a way that respects its economy, challenges and opportunities.

So far the reaction is positive.

“We have targets for energy efficiency improvements, for greenhouse gas reduction, for electric vehicles on the road. These are critical to drive action and accountability,” says Louise Comeau, director of the Conservation Council of N.B.

Highlights of the plan include:

  •  Expanding energy efficiency and clean energy programs across all sectors and all fuels with ambitious performance targets.
     
  •  Phasing out coal as a source of electricity.
     
  •  Planning for and investing in new technologies that reduce pollution, such as smart grid and renewable electricity.
     
  •  Establishing a made-in-New Brunswick price on carbon and caps on greenhouse gas emissions that reflect the reality of New Brunswick’s economy.
     
  •  Making government carbon-neutral by 2030 and increasing spending on energy efficiency in the next capital budget by 50 per cent.• Measuring and reporting progress with strong oversight by committees of cabinet and the legislative assembly.

Gallant is headed to Ottawa Wednesday afternoon to attend the first ministers’ meeting, where he will present the plan. He will also be meeting with several federal cabinet ministers as they work to finalize the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.