By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister JustinTrudeau on Monday met the country's provinces to hammer out anational climate change strategy, but two major players signaledthey had reservations about the idea.
Trudeau's Liberals won an election last month promising aradical change on the environment from the previous Conservativeadministration, which was widely criticized for not doing enoughto combat global warming.
The half-day Ottawa summit brought together Trudeau and thepremiers of the 10 provinces to work out a common position aheadof a United Nations environmental summit in Paris next week.
Trudeau says Canada must curb its emissions of greenhousegases to be taken seriously.
But Brad Wall, premier of the energy-producing province ofSaskatchewan, said any agreement had to find a balance betweenthe environment and protecting employment. Low crude prices havetriggered major job losses among energy industry workers.
"What additional impact will that have on the energy sector,which is already suffering massive layoffs in our country?" hetold reporters before the summit.
Alberta, home to most of Canada's oil sands, said on Sundayin a ground-breaking move that it would implement aneconomy-wide tax on carbon emissions in 2017.
"It was an historic moment, a strong positive step in theright direction," Trudeau said in opening remarks.
Trudeau and the provinces hope the summit and Alberta's movewill help dispel some of the international suspicion aboutCanada and climate change.
Although the Conservatives had pledged to cut greenhouse gasemissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, governmentfigures show rising emissions mean the goal is out of reach.
Trudeau will not be going to Paris with a new target, buthas committed to coming up with a goal with the provinces within90 days of returning from the talks.
Some provinces have started tackling the issue themselveswith carbon taxes or carbon pricing programs and do not like theidea of Ottawa imposing a national goal.
"If we attempt to make it uniform from sea to sea to sea, itwill fail, obviously," said Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard.
Two government scientists told the summit that Canada's rateof warming was about twice the global rate.
This means hotter summers with more forest fires, meltingpermafrost and a smaller Arctic ice cover that will force polarbears onto land as they search for food, they said. (Additional reporting by Randall Palmer in Ottawa; Editing byAlan Crosby)
