New NGO Alliance Calls for a National Renewable Energy Strategy in Wake of Record Oil Prices

The Canadian Council of Energy Ministers will be meeting September 20th in St. Andrews, New Brunswick to make critical decisions about Canada's energy future. Environmental groups from across Canada are calling on ministers to take joint action at the meeting on a national renewable energy strategy built on individual regional plans. Representatives of the new Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance (CanREA) will be attending the New Brunswick meeting to ask ministers to take a leadership role and prompt action on renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to offer assistance in the development of a national strategy.

"Now is the time for all governments to work together on renewable energy and energy efficiency," says Roger Peters of the Pembina Institute. "Oil prices are rising. Many other countries are already implementing national strategies, and the people of Canada are asking for more access to sustainable energy sources. Whatever our energy future, we need to maximize renewable energy and efficiency for economic, health, environmental and security reasons."

"Before hosting COP 11, the international meeting on climate change being held in Montreal in December, Canada should commit to a national renewable energy strategy," says Nikki Skuce of One Sky. "This strategy should be a cornerstone for Canadian action on climate change and sustainable development."

CanREA is asking the ministers to set up a national secretariat that would coordinate the development and adoption of a comprehensive national renewable energy strategy. This strategy would be built on a sound base of energy efficiency and cover all energy uses I.e., power, heat and transport. It would include targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency, and coordinated provincial and national policies and programs.

CanREA has prepared a Preliminary Framework for a National Renewable Energy Strategy for Canada outlining the key elements for the ministers to consider.

CanREA appreciates that many provinces and the federal government are already supporting renewable energy and efficiency but believes a coordinated national approach is needed for several reasons.

• Many of the market barriers that limit the widespread adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures are national in scope and need national solutions.
• A countrywide infrastructure of manufacturers, distributors, financing mechanisms, trainers and installation/maintenance organizations is needed to deploy renewable energy and efficiency systems.
• A common set of rules and conditions would attract potential international investors in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.

"Canada's vast renewable resources of water, wind, biomass and solar give us a competitive edge that we should be developing to their maximum potential," says Ken Ogilvie of Pollution Probe. "We owe it to our children to make the shift from fossil fuels to renewables today."

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For more information, contact:

NB: Roger Peters, Mary Pattenden and Ken Ogilvie will be attending the September 20th minister's meeting in St. Andrews and will be available for comment at the meeting.

List of CanREA members:

- BC Sustainable Energy Association

- Canadian Association for Renewable Energy

- The David Suzuki Foundation

- Falls Brook Centre, New Brunswick

-
One Sky — Canadian Institute for Sustainable Living, BC

- The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

- The Pembina Institute

- Pollution Probe

- The Saskatchewan Environmental Society

- The Sierra Youth Coalition

- STORM Coalition