Feds’ zero emissions plan a good first step, but getting there will be an enormous challenge
TORONTO—The federal government has taken an important and necessary step in publishing its first Zero Emissions Reduction Plan, which sets out how it might achieve its 2030 pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level 40 per cent below that recorded in 2005. Achieving that target is an important ambition for our country. However, […]
Why aren’t our EV sales getting a spark?
Let’s face it: most of us drive our own vehicles. Many have switched to transit, car shares or bikes to lower their carbon footprints, but most people in Canada drive cars. Worse yet, the vehicles we’re choosing, SUVs and pickup trucks, are big and polluting. Canadians now hold the dubious distinction of having personal vehicles […]
If Russia remains a pariah, Europeans will need Canadian natural gas
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised important questions in the Canadian energy sector, including considering the pros and cons of exporting more natural gas directly to Europe. Canada already effectively supplies the continent, though not directly, as existing American LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals send gas to Europe. With North American pipeline systems so well […]
Reviving Iran nuclear deal a complicated equation
LONDON, U.K.—As with most remarriages between the same partners, the participants are not exactly starry-eyed. They have just figured out that the old deal was better than no deal at all. The news that the obscurely named Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is back in force may reach you even before this article does, […]
Indigenous ownership could draw Trans Mountain backers, says coalition director, but opponents warn of big financial risk
The financial architect behind an Indigenous coalition to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline says Indigenous ownership is one way to convince major investors to put aside their environmental concerns and back the project. The Trans Mountain pipeline presents an opportunity for “transformational change for Indigenous peoples,” said Stephen Mason, the senior managing director and founder […]
Russian invasion not a reason to extract more oil or build new pipelines to the U.S.
Now that the United States has banned Russian oil, several Canadian politicians and oil and gas CEOs are pushing for increasing exports of Canadian oil and gas to the U.S., and calling for the revival of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. It’s absurd. And trying to capitalize on this tragedy is disgusting. A new pipeline […]
What’s up with gas? Explaining the global and local politics behind the price at the pump
In the wake of rising oil and gas prices, Conservative politicians have been urging the government to decrease its dependence on oil imports and ramp up Canadian production, but Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the opposition is “playing politics.” Gas prices have been climbing steadily for months now, but in the last two weeks, Canadians […]
Global transition to electric vehicles is ‘absolute battle’ and Canada needs strong collaboration with U.S. to triumph, say automakers
Automakers warn that the zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate proposed by the federal government could put the auto industry at risk by taking Canada’s regulatory regime out of step with that of the U.S. “There is an absolute battle underway globally in this transition to electrification, and North America as a region is competing with […]
Reversing the trend for Canadian energy
Canada’s energy sector has gone through substantive change over the past decade, but progress towards two important goals—sustainable energy solutions and greater energy efficiency—remains elusive. Primary energy sources in Canada remain dominated by natural gas (39 per cent of the energy mix in 2020) and oil (37 per cent of total energy). With only 0.5 […]
It’s time to accept we have a role to play today in global energy supply
It’s easy to think that an energy dialogue would degenerate into yet another predictable polarization story. On the streets of my hometown in Alberta, and across my country, we are divided. Only 18 per cent of Canadians perceive there are high levels of agreement on the future of oil and gas production, according to a […]
