Ed Whittingham, executive director of the Pembina Institute, made the
following statement in response to the results of the 2011 federal election:
"The Pembina Institute congratulates Conservative Leader Stephen
Harper for winning his first majority government and Jack Layton in his new
role as Leader of the Official Opposition. As a national non-partisan think
tank, the Pembina Institute works with all governments and political parties to
help move Canada toward a clean energy future that delivers economic
prosperity, environmental protection and climate security.
"Mr. Harper's actions on climate change and clean energy to date have
been inadequate relative to the need and the opportunity. To become a leader in
the fast-growing clean energy economy, Canada must implement much stronger
policies than the Conservative government has introduced so far or proposed in
its campaign platform.
"In the months to come, we'll be looking to Mr. Harper's government to
strengthen Canada's environmental performance. This means taking serious action
to cut greenhouse gas pollution in line with his government's 2020 target, adopting
a more active federal role to ensure responsible development and environmental
protection in the oilsands, delivering effective support
for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and developing a long-term plan for
investing in sustainable transportation.
"We are ready and willing to help Mr. Harper's government design and
implement these crucial policies."
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Contact:
Julia Kilpatrick
Media Manager
Cell: 613-265-5579
Twitter: @Pembina
Languages: English, français
Time zone: Eastern
Background:
The Pembina Institute looks to the new federal government to take
leadership in the following areas:
Climate change
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Putting policies in place to attach a price, or put a limit, on
greenhouse gas pollution is a crucial next step in reducing Canada's emissions.
While all the other parties supported some form of carbon pricing, the
Conservative Party proposes to reduce emissions through sector-by-sector
regulations. If the new government wants to get on track to meet Canada's 2020
target, it will require much stronger and more rapid regulatory efforts than we
have seen from Mr. Harper's government to date.
Oilsands
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The federal government must take a much more active role in
responsible environmental management in the oilsands, Canada's fastest-growing
source of greenhouse gas pollution. Mr. Harper's government will need to
implement a robust water and air quality monitoring program and use that information
to set binding caps on air, water and greenhouse gas pollution. In addition,
the federal government should require industry to phase out tailings ponds
within a decade, and move quickly to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.
Renewable energy and
efficiency
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A one-year investment in home energy efficiency upgrades, as the
Conservative government proposed in its 2011 budget, provides little stability
to the businesses providing these services. There are significant job-creation
opportunities in the fast-growing clean energy sector. To tap into them, the
Harper government needs to provide predictable, long-term funding for clean
energy and energy efficiency in Canada. Many of Canada's peer countries are
making significant investments in clean energy, and we risk being left far
behind.
Sustainable
transportation
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Canada remains the only OECD and G8 country without a long-term
federal transit plan or a long-term, predictable federal transit investment
policy. That needs to change as one step in moving Canada toward achieving a
more sustainable transportation system.
