OTTAWA – More than 40 diverse civil society organizations from across Canada have signed on to a letter calling on federal Environment Minister Peter Kent to protect the integrity of Canada’s forthcoming coal regulations by ensuring that this proposed new coal plant is not permitted to evade Ottawa’s rules. Read More
CALGARY — Ecojustice and the Pembina Institute are taking the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to court over its decision to grant Maxim Power Corp.’s coal plant expansion interim approval without a public hearing.
As the AUC itself made clear, the expedited approval was given in a blatant attempt to beat the federal government’s deadline for new greenhouse gas regulations. Read More
OTTAWA — Some common government and industry assumptions about the role of natural gas in combating climate change do not hold up to scrutiny, according to an in-depth study released today by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute. Read More
CALGARY — The Pembina Institute's Chris Severson-Baker made the following statement in response to today's announcement of bonus credits in the province's offset system for select carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects: Read More
CALGARY — The draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan is woefully inadequate and will not adequately protect the region against the cumulative effects of industrial development, Ecojustice said today after careful review of the proposed plan. Read More
The Pembina Institute's Chris Severson-Baker made the following statement in response to today's release of the Alberta government's report of 2010 compliance with its greenhouse gas regulation for heavy industry:
"Today's release by the Government of Alberta continues a four-year trend of significantly overstating the scale of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reductions that Alberta's industry regulation has really delivered. Albertans should not be assured that the province is on track to achieving its own pollution reduction target, despite Alberta's $2 billion commitment to carbon capture and storage.
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Ed Whittingham, executive director of the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the results of the 2011 federal election:
"The Pembina Institute congratulates Conservative Leader Stephen Harper for winning his first majority government and Jack Layton in his new role as Leader of the Official Opposition. As a national non-partisan think tank, the Pembina Institute works with all governments and political parties to help move Canada toward a clean energy future that delivers economic prosperity, environmental protection and climate security.
"Mr. Harper's actions on climate change and clean energy to date have been inadequate relative to the need and the opportunity. To become a leader in the fast-growing clean energy economy, Canada must implement much stronger policies than the Conservative government has introduced so far or proposed in its campaign platform.
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EDMONTON — The Alberta government could protect the environment and achieve responsible oilsands development by adopting key policy changes, recommended by the Pembina Institute in a report released today.
Solving the puzzle: environmental responsibility in oilsands development outlines 19 specific solutions available to help the Alberta government adequately address the environmental impacts of oilsands operations. The report recommends implementing specific policies to protect air, land and water, along with a credible approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a world-class environmental monitoring system. Read More
OTTAWA, ON — Tim Weis, director of renewable energy and efficiency policy for the Pembina Institute, made the following statement about today's federal budget:
"It's encouraging to see the government continue the ecoENERGY home retrofit program for one more year, since helping homeowners use less energy will reduce greenhouse gas pollution and save Canadians money. Read More
