As talks over a new industrial carbon pricing deal grind on between the Carney and Smith governments, Canada’s largest oilsands producers have issued a cautionary note.

And it arrives as negotiations over the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the federal-provincial energy pact are at a pivotal point, and have extended well past its initial April 1 deadline.

“Unfortunately, while both governments have taken steps toward this critical national interest objective since signing the MOU, the pace of change has been slow,” the Oil Sands Alliance said Monday in a statement.

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“We are at risk of letting this opportunity pass Canada by.”

The MOU reached last November — one Alberta hopes will lead to approval and development of a new oil export pipeline to the West Coast — called for a series of specific agreements on energy and environment issues to be reached by April 1.

These included deals to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, and coming up with a joint approach to impact assessments for major developments that would avoid duplication by agreeing to a “one-project, one-review” approach by governments.

Both agreements were reached before the deadline passed.

Yet, two other issues remain, including an understanding by both governments that Alberta’s industrial carbon price would climb to an effective rate of $130 per tonne under........

© Calgary Herald