NRTEE Advisory Note

In June 2006, the NRTEE released findings and advice to the government on a long-term climate change and energy strategy. The strategy was based on a scenario developed by the NRTEE that examined how, by 2050, to meet the energy needs of a growing economy, achieve substantial reductions in carbon emissions, and improve the air quality in Canada.

Advice on a Long-Term Strategy on Energy and Climate Change for Canada focused on two questions:

• How can Canada protect and enhance its national interest with regard to energy and climate change issues between now and 2050?
  
• What do we need to do right now to meet this long-term objective?

The scenario examined whether existing or near-term technologies are sufficient to reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050 while still meeting the energy needs of sustained population growth, labour productivity, and per capita GDP. The study showed this reduction is possible only if Canada simultaneously increases energy efficiency and reduces the carbon intensity of energy production.

Focusing on this long-term timeline does not mean that action can be delayed. A clear, long-term policy signal is needed now to spur immediate action, and efforts must be sustained over the next few decades to realize the significant opportunities identified in the NRTEE's scenario.

This is the first detailed examination of what a low-carbon future might look like for Canada over the next half century. It is also an initial step toward developing Canada's long-term response to energy and climate change. A copy of the NRTEE's Advisory Note can be downloaded by visiting www.nrtee-trnee.ca.

Outreach Initiative

From November 6 to December 7, 2006, the NRTEE held 10 day-long outreach sessions in nine Canadian cities. The purpose of the sessions was to present the findings of the NRTEE's Advisory Note on a Long-term Strategy on Energy and Climate Change, released in June 2006, to knowledgeable stakeholders in different regions. Participants provided their views and opinions on the NRTEE's overall approach to energy and climate change issues and to three strategic priorities that the NRTEE's Advisory Note identified: energy efficiency, energy production (carbon capture and storage), and electricity generation.

In March 2007, the NRTEE delivered the synthesized results of its outreach sessions to the federal Minister of the Environment.

Canada's International Role with Regard to Climate Change

Stemming from the Government's request for advice on energy and climate change issues and the challenges that Canada faces, the NRTEE has also examined Canada's international role with regard to climate change.

The NRTEE concentrated on three areas:

• Integrating climate change objectives into Canadian foreign policy, trade and aid objectives;
  
• Promoting linkages between Canada's emerging carbon market and existing/emerging international ones, and encouraging ways to shape future global markets for carbon through domestic instruments and international initiatives; and
  
• Maximizing trade opportunities, in particular developing a strategy to promote the export of Canadian climate-related technologies.

This Advisory Note was released in October 2006.