As UN climate conference begins, Alberta has much on the line

Some are concerned that COP26 will mean an aggressive push toward the total phase-out of fossil fuels

As world leaders descend on Glasgow this week for the start of the 2021 UN Climate Conference, Alberta — the Canadian jurisdiction with perhaps the most on the line — will be watching.

COP26, as it is known, will be the most significant global climate change summit since Paris in 2015.

Dan Balaban, chief executive of Alberta-based renewable energy company Greengate Power, said Canada needs to use the Glasgow summit as a prompt to move past talk and into action. He said it's important to get government funds flowing to the renewable energy sector, though that may involve tough choices.

"There are all sorts of industries that are out there vying for government support of some kind. The fossil fuel industry as well as the renewable energy industry," Balaban said.

"And if we're going to achieve our net zero ambitions, we need to make very clear who we intend to support going forward."