WHISTLER, B.C. - New pledges to increase intergovernmental
cooperation in advancing regulatory efficiency, collaborate on the development
of new energy technologies and improve energy efficiency highlighted the annual
meeting of Canada's Council of Energy Ministers today.
The annual meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of
Natural Resources, and the Honourable Richard Neufeld, British Columbia Minister
of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Building on priorities identified at the 2006 energy ministers' meeting in
Whitehorse, the ministers agreed to collaborate on new energy technology
partnerships in the priority areas such as cleaner fossil fuels, advanced energy
end-use, alternative and renewable energy sources, bioenergy, and hydrogen
production, storage and conversion. This will include collaboration with
industry and academia.
"Everyone has a part in this, but it's up to us as governments to show
leadership - and that's what we're doing," said Minister Lunn. "We are working
collaboratively to foster the next generation of clean technologies to break
through to emissions-free energy production and energy use," said Minister Lunn.
The energy ministers, in a joint session with mines ministers on September
24, were very pleased to note that all jurisdictions are making significant
steps towards streamlining regulatory approval processes and agreed to continue
to work collaboratively with their colleagues. These efforts will help ensure
that Canada continues to be competitive in our resource industries while
maintaining world-class standards for protection of the environment, workers,
and the public.
"Both the federal and provincial governments take energy issues very
seriously," said Minister Neufeld. "It's only during these kinds of
collaborative meetings that we can share our best practices and work together to
find solutions."
After discussing energy efficiency issues with representatives of government,
academia, private sector and energy consumer organizations, ministers agreed to
work to identify opportunities for collaborative energy-efficiency actions that
could lead to a significant reduction in the growth of energy demand in Canada.
Ministers agreed that energy efficiency and conservation have the potential to
reduce energy demand in Canada by an amount equal to almost 25% of today's
energy use by 2030, noting that each jurisdiction is acting on energy efficiency
and conservation to meet their own priorities and needs. This builds on the
recent announcement that all governments are working collaboratively to enhance
the model national energy code for buildings by 25 percent by 2012.
Ministers also endorsed the document Moving Forward on Energy
Efficiency which outlines that significant improvements in energy
efficiency and conservation are fundamental to assuring Canadians have secure,
reliable and competitively priced supply of energy for the long term. The
ministers also stressed that efficiency and conservation are key to gaining the
maximum economic benefit from Canada's energy resources while minimizing the
environmental impacts of energy use.
Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency is designed to engage all
Canadians - governments, the private sector and individuals - in a pan-Canadian
effort to reduce energy consumption in homes and buildings, industry and on-road
transportation. This document recognizes that different governments will want to
pursue different priorities at different times, according to their unique
situations.
It offers a menu of tools from which individual governments can choose to
enhance energy efficiency and conservation. It also includes numerous options
for action on energy efficiency by sectors outside governments, including
professional and industry associations, retailers, financial institutions and
others, ranging from energy-related training for professionals such as engineers
and architects to the expansion of green financial instruments.
"The biggest untapped source of energy we have in this country is the energy
we waste. Our work today brings cooperation among the federal, provincial and
territorial governments to new level," said Minister Lunn. "That commitment,
along with the input we've had from non-governmental organizations, industry,
academics and Canadians at large, says we are ready to achieve real results for
our environment, our economy and our energy security."
"Canadians and their governments are already emphasizing energy efficiency,
and we're making real progress," said Minister Neufeld. "We are adopting a
vision of how we can work together to turn real progress into spectacular
progress."
Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency is available online at http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/ or www.gov.bc.ca/empr
Media may contact:
Alyson RobbOffice of the MinisterNatural Resources
CanadaOttawa613-996-2007
Jake JacobsPublic Affairs OfficerBritish Columbia Ministry of
Energy,Mines and Petroleum Resources250-952-0629Cell:
250-213-6934
