Leading the transition to clean energy requires advancing solutions to today’s energy challenges from various angles. The Pembina Institute has spent four decades working to reduce the environmental impacts of Canada’s energy production and to provide actionable ideas on how to implement clean energy.
Our work is broadly organized around seven programs. We seek engagement on issues at the national level and with provinces, territories and municipalities and communities across the country. We have offices in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Buildings
Decarbonizing Canada’s homes and buildings is the only form of climate action that reduces emissions while also directly protecting Canadians from extreme weather. Our Buildings Program develops and advocates for policies that will spur a renovation wave to make all Canada’s buildings – our third-largest source of emissions – net-zero, safe, affordable and resilient.
Key resources
- Getting Canada’s homes in order: Opportunities for transformative action through the Canada Green Building Strategy
- Buildings need to be part of Canada’s climate adaptation strategy
- Canada’s Renovation Wave: A plan for jobs and climate
- Reframed Initiative
Popular topics
Business Renewables Centre-Canada
Corporate action on climate change is critical to meeting Canada's climate goals. The Business Renewables Centre-Canada (BRC-Canada) is a non-profit initiative of the Pembina Institute that shortens the learning curve for corporations and institutions with an interest in purchasing renewable energy.Key resources
- Fact sheet: Alberta's Corporate Renewables Procurement Advantage
- Fact sheet: Enabling Corporate Renewable Energy Procurement Across Canada
- BRC-Canada Renewable Energy Glossary
Popular topics
Electricity
Clean electricity is the backbone of a clean, competitive economy. Decarbonizing our electricity grids by 2035 provides the structure necessary for the rest of the economy to electrify by 2050 and allows Canada to remain competitive in the low-carbon economy. Our electricity program’s research on grid decarbonization provides evidence-based policy solutions that support affordability and reliability while reducing emissions.Key resources
- Zeroing In: Pathways to an affordable net-zero grid in Alberta
- Achieving a Net-Zero Canadian Electricity Grid by 2035: Principles, benefits, pathways
- From Coal to Clean: Canada’s progress toward phasing out coal power
Popular topics
Equitable Transition
The transition to clean energy will create new economic opportunities and a wide range of good jobs. Our Equitable Transition program advocates for policies to ensure the clean energy economy benefits workers and communities and increases access to good jobs for women and other equity-seeking groups.
Key resources
- A Sustainable Jobs Blueprint, Part I: Governance recommendations to support Canada’s clean energy workforce and economy
- A Sustainable Jobs Blueprint, Part II: Putting workers and communities at the centre of Canada’s net-zero energy economy
- Women in Alberta’s Energy Transition: A review of barriers to participation and leadership
- Equitable Net-Zero: Recommendations for advancing gender equity in Alberta’s energy transition
- Net-Zero Skills: What will Canada need for the coming energy transition?
- Women in the Energy Transition
- Women Delivering Electric: Entrepreneurs leading the charge for an EV-friendly Edmonton
Popular topics
Oil and Gas
As one of Canada’s major industries, the oil and gas sector must do its fair share to meet climate targets and remain competitive in a world that is increasingly seeking low-carbon energy. The Pembina Institute advocates for policy solutions to reduce emissions through electrification, methane abatement, carbon capture, utilization and storage, and other technologies.
Key resources
- Survival of the Cleanest: Assessing the cost and carbon competitiveness of Canada’s oil
- The future of oil in the energy transition: Understanding global oil demand scenarios
- Waiting to Launch: The gap between Canadian oilsands companies’ climate pledges and actions
- Landowners’ Primer: What you need to know about unreclaimed oil and gas wells
- Canada’s Energy Policy Simulator: Try out your climate policy ideas
Popular topics
- Methane
- Carbon Capture
- Emissions Cap
- Oilsands
- Inactive and Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells
- Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Renewables in Remote Communities
A groundswell of Indigenous leadership, passion, and skill is combatting diesel dependency and enabling a clean energy transition in remote communities across Canada. The Pembina Institute’s Renewables in Remote Communities program works with communities, industry, and government to support this momentum and bring down barriers to community and Indigenous-led visions of clean energy action.
Key resources
- Rethinking energy policy in Canada’s remote communities: Moving from the diesel of the past to a clean energy future
- Diesel Reduction Progress in Remote Communities: Research Summary
- Series: Climate and energy policy advancements
- Fair and Inclusive Rates
Popular topics
Transportation
The vehicles that transport our families, workers and goods within and between our communities and across the country are the second-largest source of emissions in Canada. The Transportation Program develops policies and strategies such as facilitating the transition to zero-emission vehicles, exploring the use of alternative low carbon fuels, and encouraging modes of transportation that reduce energy demand.
Key resources
- Strategy for Zero-emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
- Factsheet Series: Decarbonizing Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
- Zero-Emission Vehicle Awareness & Education: Towards inclusive and equitable outcomes in a decarbonized MHDV sector
- Urban Delivery Solutions Initiative
- Urban Freight Data Hub