Back in the 1990s, Canada’s federal government supported the start-up of Alberta’s oil sands sector on the basis that the resource\u00a0represented a \u201cnational prize.” In reality,\u00a0the economic benefits of oil sands development overwhelmingly accrue to Alberta.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the opportunities for Canada in the global low-carbon goods and services sector are far more diverse\u2014with strengths to build on in all regions of the country.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for a compelling new energy vision to motivate governments again\u2014this time with a new national prize in mind: a prosperous and competitive clean energy economy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Our\u00a0senior policy advisor, Clare Demerse, and director of policy and partnerships Dan\u00a0Woynillowicz make the case\u00a0in “A New National Prize: Making Clean Energy the Next Oil Sands<\/a>,” [PDF, 1.2 MB] in the latest edition of Policy Magazine.<\/em><\/p>\n
Here’s an excerpt:<\/p>\n
It took a critical mass of innovation, commercial viability\u00a0and political will to make Alberta\u2019s oil sands the focus of\u00a0Ottawa\u2019s energy policy. The same factors are converging\u00a0now to make clean energy the next energy industry Cinderella\u00a0story. Canadians have said they want cleaner energy,\u00a0and they\u2019ve said they\u2019ll pay for it, which should make the\u00a0political argument clear. The rest is about vision.<\/p>\n