MEDIA STATEMENT – July 3, 2014
RE: ONTARIO SPEECH FROM THE THRONE / SUPPORT FOR CLIMATE ACTION AT CORE OF CANADIAN ENERGY STRATEGY
In today’s Speech from the Throne, the Government of Ontario addressed the imperative to place climate change, renewable energy, and conservation at the core of any prospective Canadian Energy Strategy:
“…climate change solutions need to span borders. Ontario will work with other provinces and territories to develop a Canadian Energy Strategy, which includes co-ordinated efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and which recognizes the important role of renewable energy and energy conservation. While the provinces are leading this effort, your government will encourage federal partnership in addressing this challenge, which is both local and global in scale.”
Dan Woynillowicz, policy director at Clean Energy Canada, released the following statement in response:
“We welcome the Premier’s and Ontario’s leadership on climate change and clean energy; Canada clearly needs an energy strategy that looks beyond pipelines and fossil fuels and enhances clean energy collaboration between provinces.”
“Canadians understand the risks posed by climate disruption, but even more importantly they see that we have the opportunity to prosper by embracing clean, low-carbon energy. We need a Canadian Energy Strategy that tackles carbon pollution head-on, and that sets us up for success. Any such plan must also create more clean, renewable energy and enhance energy conservation.”
“Our research has shown that Canadians understand and support the idea of a national climate and energy strategy that would primarily serve to transition Canada to a lower-carbon economy.”
“Canada clearly needs an energy strategy that looks beyond pipelines and fossil fuels and enhances clean energy collaboration between provinces.”
Background:
A 2013 Harris-Decima poll found 87 percent of those surveyed agreeing, “The nation needs a Canadian climate and energy strategy to plan its energy future.” In addition, the poll found that 62 percent of respondents agreed that, “A Canadian energy strategy will only be successful if it transitions Canada to a low-carbon economy.”
Canadians were also asked to indicate to what degree they would prioritize a series of objectives for a potential Canadian energy strategy. They identified as a “top” or “high” priority “improving energy efficiency” (80 percent), “creating more jobs in clean energy” (73 percent), “reducing Canada’s carbon pollution to slow down climate change” (67 percent), and “reducing our reliance on fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal” (61 percent).
In contrast, only 31 percent of those surveyed placed a “top” or “high” priority on “exporting more of Canada’s oil and gas resources.”
The Harris-Decima teleVox poll surveyed 1,000 Canadians on behalf of Clean Energy Canada by telephone between July 4th and 8th 2013, and the survey reflects a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
