For a green recovery, embrace the shifting global energy landscape

Canada finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to our energy priorities: will we continue to double down on investments in energy sectors that are in an irreversible decline while the rest of the world moves on without us, or will we move towards investing in energy systems that will set Canada up for long-term economic success? When it comes to energy, Canada needs to deepen its investment in renewable energy and innovative cleantech; commit to decisive action to move away from industries that prevent us from staying within our carbon budget; and ensure that communities play a leading role in a just transition. Canada’s energy strategy should also seek to support the diversification of regional economies, so that provinces that are currently overly dependent upon extractive industries can leverage their skills to thrive in the new green economy. Among our major trading partners, including the United States and the European Union, a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely recognized as the greatest economic opportunity of our lifetime. Not only will a green recovery help us to limit global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, it will also ensure that workers in the fossil-fuel sector can access stable, high-paying jobs in an energy sector that is keeping up with changing global energy needs. Transitioning away from fossil fuels and investing in renewable energy systems as quickly as possible is a key component of a green recovery. Canada is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the world, and wind and solar energy are the fastest growing electricity sources in the country—renewable energy will create more jobs for workers than those lost in oil and gas, including for people without college degrees. Renewable energy generates more jobs in the short run when jobs are scarce, such as in a recession. We also know that every $1-million in investment in renewables generates about eight full-time jobs versus the three jobs created from the same investment in the fossil fuel sector. Cleantech is the sector of the economy focused on developing green innovations such as renewable energy systems and emission-free vehicles. Clean energy has been described as the biggest economic opportunity of our lifetime, and the cleantech sector is estimated to be worth US$3-trillion globally by 2030. Canada has some important advantages in cleantech: we are home to one of the world’s cleanest electricity grids, and to 12 of the 2019 Global Cleantech 100 companies. Canada also has a highly skilled engineering and IT workforce—including the skilled workers in our traditional energy sector—that can fully leverage the promise of the cleantech economy. There is no better time to ramp up our investments in research and development in this sector. In addition to investments in renewables and cleantech, one of the best ways to accelerate Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy is by creating a national, non-emitting, electricity grid. We rely on electricity to power critical infrastructures across Canada. Enabling renewable energy to flow across the country would allow buildings to increase their electricity use in a carbon-neutral way, and support the transition to zero-emission public transportation. Interprovincial power lines should be built to strengthen connections between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, build connections between western Ontario, Saskatchewan, and eastern Manitoba, and connect Alberta and British Columbia’s electricity grids. A national non-emitting energy grid is one of the best ways to ensure that 100 per cent of Canadian electricity is produced from renewable sources over the next 10 years, and a key milestone on the way to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Canada should take its renewable energy grid plans one step further by working with the United States to develop a cross-border renewable energy grid. Recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity for the two countries to modernize their shared infrastructure. A 100 per cent renewable energy grid would provide provinces and states with more reliable and affordable clean energy, thereby making these places more resilient. A green recovery offers the opportunity to put in place systems that are equitable and led by the people who will be most affected by these changes. Canada still has the opportunity to take a substantial share of the renewable energy and cleantech sector. In order to do so, we must embrace the shifting global energy landscape and a green recovery. Annamie Paul is the leader of the Green Party of Canada. The Hill Times