Canada chairing Arctic Council at pivotal time
Canada will assume chairmanship of the Arctic Council at a time when powerful outsiders are seeking a permanent presence within the increasingly important international body, and experts are split on whether Canada should support granting observer status to China, the EU, and others. “The importance of an international organization like the Arctic Council is […]
Natural Resources
Final NRTEE report warns of federal inaction in emerging global low-carbon economy
Canada risks falling behind in the emerging worldwide green economy, according to the final report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, but energy policy experts say the feds can play a leadership role by borrowing from innovative provincial policies to foster private investment in Canada’s low carbon energy sector. […]
West to East pipeline no substitute for national energy strategy: critics
Enbridge’s Line 9 reversal could see Alberta crude reach eastern Canadian refineries next year, and while critics of federal energy policy are pleased at the prospect of job creation in the East, they expect regional divisions over energy projects to persist without a national energy strategy. The National Energy Board approved Enbridge’s proposal to […]
Ottawa think tanks highlight necessary considerations in precedent-setting $15.1-billion Nexen bid
Two expert panels convened in Ottawa last week to highlight the challenges posed by the Chinese Offshore Oil Corporation’s bid for Calgary-based oil sands developer Nexen, and if there was agreement on one point, it’s that the stakes are high for the Harper government. The national capital was abuzz with policy chatter last Wednesday, […]
Why does Harper have more ambitious growth targets for the oil sands than those in the oil patch?
Former U.S. President G. W. Bush was caught on camera once referring to the “vision thing.” Some commentators have suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not enunciated a clear vision. If Canadians wonder what Harper’s vision might be, look to the mania for slashing laws that might regulate the pace of fossil fuel development, […]
Canada needs an energy strategy for the 21st century
“…[this] boom … will inevitably turn into bust, taking with it the impetus to design Canadian resource policy for the long term. The result will be that when the next boom arrives, we will be equally unprepared,” The 9 Habits of Highly Effective Resource Economies: Lessons for Canada, Canadian International Council, October 2012 […]
Resources are important but they’re not enough
TORONTO—The Harper government’s economic strategy is to brand Canada as a resource superpower, in the belief that our future depends on increasing our dependence on the resources sector as the critical engine of economic growth. This would be a big mistake. Resources Minister Joe Oliver is busy trying to persuade India to buy our […]
Canada well-positioned to fulfill rapidly increasing need in Asia-Pacific
Canada is fortunate to have a vast wealth of natural resources in the form of oil, gas, metals, minerals, and forestry. Canadians want the responsible development of these resources because it creates jobs, spurs economic growth, and assures long-term prosperity, while protecting the environment. The priority of our government to support economic and job […]
Energy Policy Briefing
