Policy Briefing – Renewable Energy
Page 26
http://www.hilltimes.com/issue/archive/2008-07-28
Time to stop playing politics with climate change: a nonpartisan approach to renewables
Canadians must put their differences aside and work together to tackle one of the
greatest challenges posed to humanity.
By Senator Elaine McCoy
July 28, 2008
It is time to stop playing politics with climate change. Canadians must
put their differences aside and work together to tackle one of the
greatest challenges posed to humanity. Unless we act now, climate
change could have massive environmental, social, economic and
security implications. Loss of biodiversity, increased natural disasters,
human health impacts, restricted access to traditional energy markets
and climate refugees could all threaten Canada’s future prosperity.
Here's the scoop: Sen.
The window of opportunity to avoid dangerous anthropogenic
Elaine McCoy writes, 'Just
as British Petroleum
interference with the climate system is shrinking every year. After
changed its name to Beyond
energy conservation and efficiency, one of the most effective ways to
Petroleum, Canada must
now look beyond fossil fuels
reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions is to use energy sources
in diversifying its energy
which emit dramatically fewer greenhouse gas emissions than carbonproduction and usage. It is
still not too late for Canada
based fuels. Not only do such sources exist in Canada, they are also
to surge ahead.'
immensely abundant. These sources are, of course, renewable energy
sources such as wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, biomass and
hydroelectric energy. Although many of these forms of energy were significantly more expensive
decades ago, skyrocketing oil prices mean that renewable energies are becoming more and more
competitive. Furthermore, increasing demand for oil and coal coupled with escalating geopolitical,
technological and environmental recovery costs will continue to boost their price on world
markets. The right market incentives and fiscal instruments, on the other hand, can help to
intensify demand for renewable sources of energy which will lead to a decrease in their price.
Other countries seized the opportunity of making renewables a priority in their energy strategies
decades ago. Germany, for example, significantly increased its proportion of renewable energy
by investing heavily in research and development in the 1970s and 1980s; creating market
measures to encourage renewables in the 1990s (e.g. electric utilities were obliged to tie-in and
distribute energy from renewable sources); and finally creating fiscal measures in the 2000s
(such as eco-taxes on gasoline and payroll deduction reduction).
In Sweden, a market-based green electricity certificate system was introduced in 2003 to promote
cost effective electricity production based on renewables as well as competition between different
renewable energy sources. The result is that renewable energy constitutes over 28% of Sweden’s
total primary energy supply in 2006. Even the European Union, whose Member States face far
more different energy production realities than our provinces, established the Renewable Energy
Road Map in 2007, which sets an overall mandatory target of 20% of the proportion of renewable
energy figuring in gross energy domestic consumption by 2020.
Given Canada's vast sources and territory for renewables in terms of water, wind, coastal areas
and residual waste from its forest and agricultural sector; and given its advanced technological
expertise (e.g. Bombardier and AVAC), there is no excuse to lag behind northern Europe. Just
as British Petroleum changed its name to Beyond Petroleum, Canada must now look beyond
fossil fuels in diversifying its energy production and usage. It is still not too late for Canada to
seize the opportunity to become a leader in this promising sector, which will not only provide
social and environmental benefits but also concrete economic opportunities for our sectors which
are presently facing hardships such as the manufacturing sector. These opportunities could
include making better usage of residual waste from the pulp and paper sector or restructuring the
automobile industry to produce vehicles powered not solely from petroleum but also from
electricity.
The first step in making renewable fuels more attractive is to level the playing field between
renewable and fossils fuels by ensuring that the latter stops receiving tax breaks from
governments and takes into account the full socio-environmental costs of its production and
usage. And in order for industries and individuals to take into the full cost of producing and using
fossil fuels, pricing carbon is imperative. Only then will renewable energy sources become viable
alternatives to fossil fuels in the free market. Intentions to use a carbon tax in British Columbia
and by some federal political parties may likely be the catalyst that is required for Canada to start
tapping into its vast potential sources of renewable energy.
Another essential step in moving towards renewables is mainstreaming policies. Successful
policies that address climate change, particularly promoting renewables, will necessarily cross
departments, sectors and jurisdictions. Consequently, no single department or ministry can
tackle the complexities of policies that will be required to combat climate change; and hence the
necessity of elevating its policy coordination from a department to a higher-level body that will
ensure integration of policies throughout the federal and provincial governments. Indeed, the
changes necessary to decarbonise our economy will require a complete reorganization and
mobilization of the machinery of government.
One possible manner of elevating climate coordination is to establish a climate cabinet which
would include ministers from key departments whose policies most affect climate change
mitigation and adaptation. Once established, this climate cabinet could establish a Joint
Parliamentary Committee to oversee the transition from a carbon-based energy sector to a
renewables-based energy sector. Given that most energy programs and initiatives do not fall
within federal jurisdiction, the climate cabinet could convoke a National Climate Council with
provincial, territorial and municipal representatives to better coordinate strategies and policies
relating to energy.
Elevating the profile of an environmental issue and bringing it to the core of federal decisionmaking is not only realistic but it has already been done. Indeed, the Federal Sustainable
Development Strategy, which became law in June 2008, mandates the creation of a new Cabinet
Committee on Sustainable Development which oversees the development and implementation of
such a strategy. Just as the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy will push the issue of
sustainable development up the political food chain so can the creation of a climate cabinet and
of a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Renewable Energy.
Yet another step in enhancing renewables in Canada's energy sector is to provide measurable
targets as the EU has set out. Just as the Cabinet Committee on Sustainable Development will
establish targets that can be evaluated by the Auditor General's Office, a Joint Parliamentary
Committee on Renewable Energy could also set out targets to increase the proportion of our
energy supply coming from renewables. Alternatively and perhaps more quickly as the Act is
already law, the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy could include increasing proportions
of our energy coming from renewable sources as one of its targets. In turn, the minister
responsible for meeting this target will be held accountable while performance-based contracts
with the Government of Canada shall include provisions for meeting this target.
These are but a few ideas that can unite Canadians in transforming their energy sector to be
more sustainable and competitive. We must act now if we are to catch up with other countries,
such as Sweden, that have made renewable energy and sustainable development a pillar of their
economy and the priority for their governments.
Elaine McCoy is the Progressive Conservative Senator for Calgary, Alta., and a member of the
Senate’s Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Note: this OpEd was also published in …
TELEGRAPHJOURNAL
New Brunswick
on August 15, 2008 at page A7 under the
title Stop playing politics with climate
change