2011 Energy and Mines Ministers Conference

KANANASKIS, ALBERTA — Federal, provincial and territorial energy ministers supported a collaborative approach to energy at their annual meeting today in Alberta. The ministers agreed to a shared vision for Canada as a recognized global leader in secure and sustainable energy supply, use and innovation. The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources, and Alberta Energy Minister Ron Liepert.

“With our country’s unique capacity to innovate and build a reliable and resilient energy sector, Canada has great potential to help meet Canada’s and the world’s energy needs,” said Minister Oliver. “Collaboration will put us in a better position to harness our country’s energy potential, grow our status as an environmentally responsible energy supplier and user, and create more prosperity and jobs for Canadians.”

This approach to energy collaboration is founded on a set of common principles and objectives to guide energy policies in Canada.

 “The world is watching Canada’s efforts to develop its energy resources wisely and efficiently,” said Alberta Energy Minister Ron Liepert. “We all have a stake in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy production. A pan-Canadian approach to energy will involve all Canadians and ensure that we are all starting on the same page as we move forward.”

The ministers discussed common issues, which could be addressed collaboratively by the federal, provincial and territorial governments under this approach. Areas of possible collaboration identified by ministers included regulatory reform, energy efficiency, energy information and awareness, new markets and international trade, and smart grids and electricity reliability.

They also noted that over the past year, all governments continued to improve regulatory review processes. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working toward the shared objective of one-project/one-review for environmental assessments and associated regulatory processes to position Canada for long-term growth and job creation while maintaining the highest standards of environmental protection. They underlined the importance of an effective and efficient regulatory system with timely, transparent, fair and predictable processes.

Ministers also heard presentations from representatives of the Winnipeg Consensus Group, the Energy Policy Institute of Canada, and environmental non-governmental organizations, think tanks and other stakeholders. A number of ministers also toured an oil sands mining operation and visited a reclaimed oil sands mining site. Now home to over 300 wood bison, the site illustrates the important technological advances made in sustainable extraction of the world’s third-largest oil reserve. As global energy demand is expected to grow over the coming decades, Alberta’s oil sands are a responsible and sustainable major supplier of energy to the world.

Progress will be reviewed by the ministers at the next Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference, to be
hosted by the Government of Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown, from September 9^th to 11^th, 2012.

The ministers also released the Canada as a Global Energy Leader paper and related Action Plan. These documents can be found at https://emmc2011.alberta.ca.

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Media may contact:

Julie Di Mambro
Press Secretary 
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-996-2007

or

Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447

or

Jay O’Neill
Director
Alberta Energy 
Edmonton, Alberta
780-919-4523