On Friday, April 3, industry and non-profit leaders representing Canada’s clean energy sector—including renewable power, energy efficiency, cleantech, advanced biofuels and electric transportation—submitted an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the need for clean-energy-focused stimulus in order to build a better, more resilient economy.
The letter emphasizes three overarching recommendations:
- To signal climate policy continuity and enhancement.
- To invest in sufficient, sustained and sustainable stimulus.
- And to move quickly to support clean energy solutions, Canadian cleantech innovation and businesses by expanding existing initiatives and programs.
In particular, the letter says, “investment in economic diversification must place special attention on the regions that need it most and that have seen record layoffs.”
Signatories of the letter are:
- Merran Smith, Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada, Simon Fraser University
- Anne-Raphaëlle Audouin, President & CEO, WaterPower Canada
- Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association
- Wesley Johnston, President and CEO, Canadian Solar Industries Association
- Daniel Breton, President and CEO, Electric Mobility Canada
- Corey Diamond, Executive Director, Efficiency Canada
- Ian Thomson, President, Advanced Biofuels Canada
- Julia Langer, CEO, The Atmospheric Fund
- Jacob Malthouse, Canada Cleantech Alliance
- Jeanette Jackson, CEO, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator
- Denis Leclerc, President and CEO, Écotech Québec
- Maike Althaus, Executive Director, Ontario Clean Technology Industry Association
Independent modelling has found that, by 2030, Canada’s clean energy sector will employ 559,400 Canadians, thanks in part to climate policies and programs spurring a clean energy growth rate four times the Canadian average.
The energy transition is also enhancing competitiveness and creating new opportunities in other sectors of the economy. These include jobs in low-carbon concrete, steel and aluminum, sustainably produced mass timber, and mining the metals and minerals used in many clean technologies.
