Canadian Premiers will be in Regina this week, August 5-7 at the Council of the Federation meeting to discuss climate, energy and trade issues. As described in “A Shared Vision for Energy in Canada,” Premiers envision a future with secure sustainable, reliable supplies of energy with high standards of environmental and social responsibility including emission reductions that maintains Canadian leadership in energy markets. While this may be Premier’s shared vision, one has to question whether it will be our reality. Although the vision document contains promising elements calling for greater collaboration amongst provinces in improving energy efficiency, renewable power technologies and electricity grid interconnections, it continues to frame Canada as an “energy superpower.” With our abundant sources of energy the potential for hydro-electric, uranium, natural gas, nuclear generation, oil and new “clean” energy export options is emphasized.
This appears to be laying the groundwork for more export-focused Canadian energy projects. As highlighted in a recent op-ed “Separating Truth from Greenwashing in the West’s Export Boom” this raises a number of questions and concerns. The tar sands are a key example of the consequences in allowing the “free market” energy integration agenda driven by NAFTA and the SPP to trump environmental priorities, energy security and needed action on climate change.
In continuing down the superpower path, it is surprising that, at no point in the vision document, are the energy provisions of NAFTA mentioned. NAFTA’s proportional sharing rule obliges Canada to continue exporting energy to the U.S. in the same proportion of total supply sold over the three previous years. Since the U.S. is our largest export market, this means that there is nothing in the free market to stop our exports from going higher. Already Canada exports close to two thirds of the oil and 61 per cent of the natural gas it produces. NAFTA’s notorious chapter 11 acts to prevent as well as challenge strong environmental and labour standards. It allows corporations to sue member governments for compensation in secretive trade tribunals over almost any state measure that impacts predicted profits.
When it comes to being a “clean energy superpower” we need to ask – what qualifies as clean? Nuclear power? The problematic private run-of-the-river projects in B.C.? Further, what are the environmental and social impacts of producing power for private exports instead of maximizing regional self-sufficiency in sustainable energy and preserving our public power systems?
Also on the Premier’s agenda are climate issues. In the absence of federal leadership, provinces are faced with taking the needed steps to ensure that Canada plays its role in reducing climate change causing emissions. The Council of the Federation meeting is a critical building block towards Copenhagen, the location of the next round of international negotiations to address climate change. This is why the Council of Canadians is joining with other organizations for the “Climate Showdown in Regina,” so we can send a strong message to Premiers to take climate action. Planned events (free and open to the public) include documentary screenings, a teach-in featuring climate, energy and trade panels, a climate justice rally and a potluck and social. Add your name to the Kyotoplus petition and help build the movement calling on the Canadian government to agree to science based emission reductions and a bold, strengthened second phase of the Kyoto Protocol this December in Copenhagen.
