Canadians entitled to “realistic” Canadian Energy Strategy

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release

Premiers’ climate commitments require priority be given to clean energy investments.

Ottawa, Canada. July 17, 2015 – Premiers today agreed to a Canadian Energy Strategy that fails to strongly steer the country toward the clean, renewable energy system needed to cut carbon pollution and protect the climate.

The Strategy commits provinces to a non-discriminatory approach to energy and energy transmission across Canada when what’s needed is public policy favouring clean, renewable energy over the oil, coal and natural gas unbalancing the climate system.

“Governments discriminate against smoking and toxics in food and consumer products. What’s need now is discriminatory policy against fossil fuels if we are going to drastically reduce the carbon pollution putting our health and well-being at risk,” says Louise Comeau, Executive Director0, Climate Action Network Canada.

Comeau added that future job creation will not come from outdated energy investments, but rather from participating in the transition to a clean energy system. According to Clean Energy Canada’s 2015 report on renewable energy trends, global investors moved USD$295 billion in 2014 into renewable energy-generation projects—an increase of 17 percent over 2013¹ . Canada needs to focus on this growing market to create the climate friendly jobs that we need.

We see potential with ongoing implementation of the Strategy to shift emphasis toward a clean energy system. Premiers today asked that their energy ministers undertake a series of tasks aimed at implementing the Strategy relating to:

• Energy Efficiency – Review opportunities to implement or expand minimum energy efficiency performance policies such as increased standards, as a means to drive update of energy efficiency improvements.
•  Delivering Energy to People – Identify and advance the type, nature and quantity of energy products by provinces and territory (region) which require new and enhanced transportation and transmission infrastructure.
•  Climate Change and Transition to a Lower Carbon Economy – To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, explore the potential to expand the use of market-based carbon management mechanisms across Canada and identify elements and opportunities to promote collaboration and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs in various sectors responsible for greenhouse gas emissions such as energy, transportation and manufacturing.
• Technology and Innovation – Support the development of new energy technologies and improve access to affordable, clean, renewable and reliable supplies of energy in off-grid communities.”

We urge premiers to ensure that clean energy analysis and policy coordination be prioritized over fossil fuels as they move to implement the Canadian Energy Strategy.

For more information contact:
Dr. Louise Comeau
lcomeau@climateactionnetwork.ca
1-506-238-0355

Climate Action Network Canada – Réseau action climat Canada (CAN-Rac Canada) is a non-partisan coalition of more than 100 organizations from across the country that cares about how a changing climate affects people, plants and wildlife. Our Network believes that it is reckless not to invest now to keep our families and communities safe, especially when solutions are affordable. We are working together to advance solutions to managing our carbon pollution through sustainable and equitable development.

1 http://cleanenergycanada.org/resources/reports/