2016 Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference

This year's Energy and Mines Ministers'  Conference (EMMC), hosted by Manitoba, gave federal, provincial and territorial  ministers an opportunity to discuss current opportunities and challenges related  to building  public confidence in energy development. Restoring the public's trust in  environmental assessments and regulatory processes and ensuring that decisions  are based on science, facts and evidence, including the traditional knowledge  of Indigenous peoples, are key to enhancing confidence in the system.

Energy ministers also acknowledged the success of provincial and  territorial governments in launching the Canadian Energy Strategy. They  reviewed collaborative efforts in implementing specific initiatives of the  Strategy, including in the areas of energy efficiency, energy technology and  delivering energy to people. Additionally, the ministers  discussed opportunities to reduce risk and incentivize investment in Canadian  value-added projects to create a more resilient energy sector in Canada. This work will also  support the Leaders' Statement on a North American Climate, Clean Energy, and  Environment Partnership, issued by Prime Minister Trudeau and his counterparts  at the recent North American Leaders' Summit. They committed to reporting on  shared progress to First Ministers in the fall of 2016, including joint  priorities for next year in support of a clean environment and strong economy.

Key Energy Deliverables:

Enhancing Public Confidence in  Canada's Energy Sector

The ministers heard the findings and  recommendations of a National Workshop on Public Confidence held on June 9,  2016, attended by over 100 leading stakeholders. Ministers committed to  continue to engage with stakeholders to develop and implement positive  approaches to building public confidence in Canada's resource sectors. The  ministers released the Public Confidence Along the Energy  Development Cycleinfographic to identify  opportunities to build public confidence throughout the life cycle of a project  and the Compendium  of Case Studies on Building Public Confidence in the Mineral and Energy  Resource Sectorsto highlight best practices and  lessons learned to building public confidence in Canada's resource sectors that  have been implemented by governments, regulatory authorities and industry in  collaboration with communities across Canada.

The ministers emphasized the need to  strengthen public confidence in the way major resource projects are assessed  and reviewed, ensuring that regulatory decisions are based on science and  evidence and that Indigenous peoples, as well as local communities, are full  partners in the environmental assessment and regulatory process. A responsible,  timely and predictable system with robust and science-based regulatory  processes will help to build the public confidence needed to move Canada's  resources to market. Energy and mines ministers committed to working  collaboratively in the ongoing review of federal regulatory processes and to  finding the best ways to protect our environment and grow our economy in order  to ensure a clean, sustainable future for all Canadians and generations to  come.

Energy Efficiency

Encouraging Market Transformation Through Collaboration  on Energy Efficiency Standards is a  framework that defines how governments can collaborate to achieve greater  harmonization on energy efficiency standards. The accompanying Action Plan will  establish joint priorities for new and updated energy efficiency standards,  establish strategies to prepare the market for future regulations and improve  regulatory development, implementation and transparency.

The  report Financing Energy Efficiency Retrofits in  the Built Environmentprovides governments with an analysis of the  innovative financing mechanisms used to promote energy efficiency upgrades in residential,  commercial and industrial buildings, along with best practices to accelerate  their adoption.

Clean Technology

The Innovation Clusters on Shale Resource  Development and Distributed Power Generation: A Progress Report to Ministers builds on the collaborative action plans endorsed by ministers at EMMC 2015 by  reporting on their progress to date. Innovation clusters, as a mechanism for  collaboration, have successfully encouraged  federal, provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders to come  together and leverage each other's expertise to accelerate energy technology  and innovation.

The report Working Together to Advance Energy  Research and Development: Best Practices and Lessons-Learned for RD&D  Collaboration highlights the importance of  federal, provincial and territorial (F/P/T) collaboration in energy technology  and innovation. By profiling a series of F/P/T collaboration success stories,  the report examines further opportunities for collaboration among different  levels of government, which can have a profound impact on energy technology and  innovation in Canada. Also highlighted was Canada's involvement in international  energy technology initiatives, such as Mission  Innovation, which also provide a platform for F/P/T collaboration.

Oil and Gas

A study by the Conference Board of Canada on  the direct and indirect impacts of low oil prices on Canadian industry,  government revenues and economic growth over the next five to 10 years was  showcased at the conference. The study contributes to the understanding of the  macro impacts of the oil price decline on Canada's industries and economy over  the medium to long term and highlights the importance and urgency of moving our  energy products to domestic and international markets.

Electric Reliability

Through EMMC, the federal,  provincial and territorial governments are committed to providing fundamental  information on Canada's energy resources. To this end, governments launched a web  portal that brings federal, provincial and territorial electric reliability  information together for the first time. It builds on the previous work to  develop and maintain information about pipeline safety regimes and shale and  tight resources. To learn more, please visit www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/electricity-infrastructure/18792.

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Media  may contact:

Alexandre Deslongchamps
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Natural Resources
343-292-6837

 Media Relations
Natural  Resources Canada
Ottawa
343-292-6100

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John  B. Thorpe
Communications  Coordinator
Communications  Services Manitoba
Winnipeg,  Manitoba
204-945-4997

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