Canada approves controversial oil project

The Norwegian company Equinor plans to develop an oil field, called Bay du Nord, outside Newfoundland.

Bay du Nord is expected to extract 300 million barrels of oil over a 30-year period, but environmental organizations are critical of the decision.

For the province of Newfoundland, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country, however, the project means a much-needed economic boost.

“Approving Bay du Nord is another step towards an unsustainable future. The decision is tantamount to denying that climate change is real and threatening our existence,” said Julia Levin of the Environmental Defense organization in a statement.

According to the public service company CBC, Bay du Nord can go into production no earlier than 2028.

Guilbeault tells the CBC that Bay du Nord has been imposed strict emissions controls and that “the world still needs oil”.

Canada is the world’s fourth largest oil producer.