The International Energy Agency (IEA) has commended Canada’s commitment to increase the share of clean energy in electricity supply by 2020. At the launch of the new publication Energy Policies of IEA Countries – Canada 2009 Review today in Ottawa, IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka said “the goal to increase to 90% the portion of Canada’s electricity needs that are provided by carbon-free sources such as hydro, nuclear or wind power by the end of the decade is progressive and ambitious”. He also praised Canada’s recent climate target announcement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% below its 2005 levels by 2020 under the Copenhagen Accord - a non-binding document that emerged from the international climate change conference in Denmark in December 2009.
Nonetheless, with a view to the long-standing sustainability of the energy sector, Mr. Tanaka stressed that “Canada must continue to develop and implement a comprehensive national energy efficiency strategy, coupled with a coordinated climate change policy targeted at the key emitting sectors, if long-term energy goals are to be realised”. Canada is one of the highest per-capita CO2 emitters in the OECD and has higher energy intensity than any IEA member country. Yet the IEA report recognises the government’s aim to achieve a balance between the environmentally responsible production and use of energy, the growth and competitiveness of the economy, and secure and competitively priced energy and infrastructure.
See full Press Release.
Posts
