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February 14, 2012 – A Low-Carbon Growth Plan for Canada: The Role of Energy

Meeting Overview

The focus of the CP6 program is on the identification of the opportunities that a low-carbon future holds for Canada; as well as identifying some of the key risks to Canada in the global transition of a low-carbon economy. The NRT is convening a group of energy experts from across Canada, to inform our research on energy-emission considerations. In this meeting we will discuss:

• what the experts see as Canada’s opportunities and risks (or challenges) for Canada in a carbon-constrained future?
• what governments can do to enhance the opportunities and address the challenges through their policies?

A global low-carbon transition is underway and Canada needs a low-carbon growth plan to compete as the world economy becomes more carbon-constrained. In the sixth and final report in the two-year Climate Prosperity initiative exploring how Canada can not only cope with climate change, but prosper through it, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRT) is examining the risks and opportunities inherent in the global transition to a low-carbon economy. The focus is on articulating a feasible and coherent policy framework for ensuring Canadian economic growth and competitiveness under future global carbon constraints – or, phrased differently, to develop a low-carbon growth plan for Canada.

Improved technology, higher energy prices, clean energy technology, and concerns about climate change are creating new market forces for transforming energy systems around the world, including Canada’s. We believe that the transformation of Canada’s energy systems will need to be a central component of a low-carbon growth plan. Our report will identify key components of this energy transformation necessary to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions and take advantage of new economic opportunities, focusing on issues of energy supply, power generation, and transportation fuels. The format for this event will be a facilitated round table discussion of a select group of approximately 15 leading experts in various fields of energy, power generation, transportation and policy.

Photos

Participants

Martin Adelaar Principal ICF Marbek

Jill Baker Senior Policy Advisor National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Eric Beynon Director, Strategy & Policy IC02N

Jim Burpee President & Chief Executive Officer Canadian Electricity Association

Michael Cleland Advisor Canada West Foundation

Len Coad Director, Energy, Environment and Technology Policy The Conference Board of Canada

Paul Cobb Senior Technical and Policy Advisor, Public Sector Services Pembina Institute

John Cuddihy Senior Policy Advisor National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

René Drolet Director, Policy and Research National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Bruce Dudley Chief Executive Officer The Delphi Group

Heather Ebbs Writer Ubquitext Communications

Pierre Lundahl Consultant Canadian Hydropower Association

Robert Lyng Vice President (Acting), Sustainable Development Ontario Power Generation

Don MacKInnon NRT Member National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

David McLaughlin President and CEO National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Wishart Robson Climate Change Advisor to the President and CEO Nexen Inc.

Dave Sawyer Director, Climate Change & Energy International Institute for Sustainable Development

Merran Smith Director, Tides Canada Energy Initiative Tides Canada

Seton Stiebert Associate EnviroEconomics

NRT Staff

Denise Edwards Administrative Assistant National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Isabella Kavafian Research Associate National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Sumeet Tandon Research Associate National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy