Is Canada’s oil sector an appropriate target for industrial policy support?
Canadian discussions on the future of oil quickly descend to partisan polemics, with the environmental community arguing that climate change realities mean we need to leave it in the ground, and the oil patch arguing that it’s better that we produce it than our unethical global competitors. It’s hard to see a bridge between those […]
The power behind transition: a national energy system strategy
Canada is an energy bank. We need to treat it like one. We require an energy system strategy that would allow Canada to lead (not follow) market opportunities and leverage our capital to transition to a low carbon future. An energy system strategy will allow us to better monitor and achieve our transition. Energy is […]
With economic statement, federal government keeps us waiting on real climate action
When it comes to climate policy, the fall economic statement delivered more of what we’ve come to expect from this government: a lot of talk about leadership, some new money for signature policies, but little recognition of the bigger picture challenges facing the country. It amounts to a small step forward when a leap is […]
Canada is on the cusp of a historical energy transformation, let’s do it
The year 2020 is expected to be the largest and most abrupt economic contraction since the Great Depression. The cautious expectation is that, once a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes widely available, the economy can enter a quick rebuilding phase. In the months to come, the federal government will be seeking to kick-start Canada’s economic recovery, […]
Experts and parliamentarians look ahead to SMR action plan to be released in near future
When Seamus O’Regan was sworn in as minister of natural resources on Nov. 20, 2019, his mandate letter didn’t explicitly mention nuclear energy, although it did use language like “clean technology” but he’s clearly communicated his intention to make nuclear a big part of Canada’s clean energy future. “He’s been more active on this file […]
Climate and shifting markets define energy challenges for Canada
The state of energy policy in Canada, as it relates to fossil fuels, is defined by two major issues: the stalling out, with the possible exception of Quebec, of meaningful progress on climate change; and distress in the Alberta oil and gas sector, a product of weak demand and low commodity prices—trends that pre-dated the COVID-19 pandemic. The […]
Canada Energy Regulator report shows a need for new climate scenario planning
The recently released Energy Future 2020 report (EF2020) from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) is the latest long-term energy outlook that builds on the history of projections published by the precursor to the CER, the National Energy Board, since 1967. As the CER explains the goal of the modelling exercise is to “explore how possible […]
Energy Policy Briefing
Approaching the Biden administration on energy: don’t lead with Keystone
A Biden administration represents opportunities and challenges for Canadian energy, but to be successful in its relations with Washington, Canada needs to think differently about how it approaches the U.S. Gone are the days when the U.S. looked to Canada as a pivotal energy supplier and crucial pillar of national energy security. What happened? Two […]
UNDRIP legislation is mostly symbolic: here’s how to give it meaning
There is a lot of optimism in Indigenous communities about the reintroduction of legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). But passing legislation will not magically improve the social and economic conditions of Indigenous nations overnight. As the federal government prepares its UNDRIP bill, we need to think […]
