For Immediate Release
February 18, 2009

Clean energy dialogue provides hope, but caution is needed

Ottawa / February 19, 2009 – Following the joint press conference of Canadian Prime Minister Harper and US President Obama, the Council of Canadians is cautiously welcoming binational collaboration on environmental protection and action on climate change.

“We need to see real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. If a clean energy dialogue can help move this agenda forward and is in the public interest, then this can be a positive development” says Andrea Harden-Donahue, Energy Campaigner with the Council of Canadians.

“There is a need for caution when it comes to carbon capture and storage (CCS) and intensity based targets,” adds Harden-Donahue. “The Canadian and Albertan governments have tried to use CCS to help greenwash the tar sands, the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in our country, and justify ongoing expansion.” Harden-Donahue notes that CCS has not been demonstrated or proven in the tar sands, and is very expensive. There is evidence in a report prepared for the governments of Alberta and Canada that only a small percentage of CO2 emitted from the tar sands is ‘capturable.’

Contrary to Harper’s comments in today’s press conference, intensity based targets are not ‘more or less the same’ as absolute caps. Intensity targets allow for absolute emissions to rise with the growth of polluting activities, as long as the pollution becomes ‘more efficient,’ whereas absolute caps set hard targets for emission reductions. It remains to be seen how this difference will influence bilateral action on climate change.

“The differences between these two leaders will become more clear over time,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “Obama is serious about re-opening NAFTA and it is crucial that Canada have a set of demands to benefit our people and environment that excludes water, energy and Chapter 11.”

The Council of Canadians maintains that NAFTA undermines energy security and stands in the way of a sustainable energy strategy. This has led to a situation where Quebec and Atlantic Canada rely on imports to meet 90 per cent of their oil needs while two thirds of Canada’s oil and 61 per cent of its natural gas is exported to the U.S.  The fast paced developments we have witnessed in the tar sands are a prime example of the consequences of allowing the market to direct energy policy.

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For More Information or to arrange an interview: Dylan Penner, Media Officer, The Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685