Guilbeault could quit caucus as soon as this week, government sources tell CTV News

Former environment minister Steven Guilbeault is considering stepping down as a Liberal MP. CTV News’ Annie Bergeron-Oliver explains.

OTTAWA - Former environment and climate change minister Steven Guilbeault is considering resigning from the Liberal Party caucus due to his concern over the federal government’s rollback of Trudeau-era climate policies and the most recent iteration of the MOU with Alberta aimed at building a new pipeline, four sources in the federal government tell CTV News.

The sources say Guilbeault is considering remaining as an MP, but sitting as an Independent, and likely would not run in the next election.

CTV News has reached out to Guilbeault’s office but has not received a response by the time of publication. Sources close to the former minister who spoke to him Monday say he wasn’t 100 per cent decided yet.

On his way into a cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked by the Globe and Mail’s Marieke Walsh if he expected Guilbeault to resign. He didn’t reply.

CTV News posed the same question to Industry Minister Melanie Joly, who said “I’m a good friend of Steven’s, I worked a lot to bring him into politics, and he will always be a good friend.”

“But we’re also dealing with an energy crisis right now, which is affecting the price of gas across the country... Things are happening thousands of kilometres from where we are. So, in these circumstances we need to be able to protect our energy sovereignty and be able to support our allies.”

Climate policy rollbacks

Guilbeault is not alone in his concern about climate policy rollbacks. More than a dozen Liberal MPs wrote recently to the prime minister to express worry over changes to methane and clean electricity regulations in Alberta moving the $130 per-tonne effective price on carbon target beyond 2030, as well as any possible public money going toward a new pipeline.

Sources close to Guilbeault say he was disheartened that the MOU and corresponding rollback of the oil and gas emissions cap, and aforementioned regulations meant even Canada’s 2050 net-zero was out of reach, according to analysis from the Canadian Climate Institute.

Speculation over Guilbeault’s political future ramped up after Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith agreed earlier this month to elements of an energy deal that could see construction of an oil pipeline begin as early as the fall 2027 if specific conditions are met.

Back in November, Guilbeault resigned from Carney’s cabinet where he served as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture - just hours after Carney and Smith signed the initial memorandum of understanding (MOU) on energy.

At the time, while stating he understands the prime minister’s efforts in the face of “profound disruption,” Guilbeault said he remains “one of those for whom environmental issues must remain front and centre.”

In an interview with CTV’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos back in December following his resignation from cabinet, Guilbeault said the energy deal makes it “impossible” for the federal government to reach its 2030 emissions targets.

Guilbeault previously served as environment and climate change minister from 2021 to 2025 under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Under Trudeau, the federal government committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, 45 to 50 per cent by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, but the Carney government has been far less explicit about those commitments.

A February 2026 report from the Canadian Climate institute concluded Canada is on track to be roughly just halfway to the 2030 emissions reductions targets.

Earlier this month, Carney said Canadians can expect an update on the Liberal government’s climate plans.

This is a breaking news story. More details to come.