EDMONTON — The Government of Alberta on Thursday invoked the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act for the third time in its history, citing a recent federal communication that proposed referring to atmospheric carbon dioxide as "present" in scientific publications. The province called the language "deeply provocative."

The motion, which passed the legislature 47-13 along party lines, instructs all Alberta entities to disregard any federal regulation, scientific finding, or weather report that characterizes carbon as a real substance with measurable effects. Provincial workers have been directed to refer to it instead as "energy in transit" or, where space permits, "the climate's opinion."

"This is about jurisdiction," said Premier Smith, speaking in front of a banner that read Alberta Energy: The Real One. "The federal government has chosen, unilaterally, to acknowledge that carbon exists. We were not consulted. We were not asked. We do not consent to this characterization."

Constitutional scholars expressed bemusement, noting that the Sovereignty Act, by its own terms, cannot override federal law and has no actual mechanism for compelling anyone outside the provincial government to do anything. The Premier's office responded that the act's purpose is "symbolic," and that its symbolic power was never stronger than when it was used to deny the existence of a colourless gas.

The first two invocations of the act had targeted federal net-zero electricity regulations and emissions caps, both of which remain in effect federally despite the province's having declared them void. The third invocation is expected to follow a similar trajectory, in which Alberta passes legislation rejecting reality, reality continues to operate as before, and the Premier's office issues a statement calling this a victory.

Asked whether the government planned to also reject the colour of the gas itself, Environment Minister Grant Hunter said he had not been briefed on what colour carbon was, and intended to keep it that way.