Canada’s Coolest Cities

“What are Canada’s large cities doing to encourage low-carbon choices for personal transportation?” A new report by the Pembina Institute, Canada’s Coolest Cities, set out to answer that question through case studies of Canada’s six largest urban areas: Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

The study found that the City of Calgary’s imagineCALGARY engaged over 18,000 Calgarians in a conversation about the future of Calgary. It was the largest visioning process ever undertaken by a city and resulted in a long-range sustainability plan. However, the city will face challenges in meeting its new sustainability targets — more than 75% of Calgary commuters use personal vehicles, with the significant majority carrying only a single occupant. For detailed findings, read the Calgary Case Study.

Edmonton has the highest number of bike paths per capita of the six cities studied. It also has an innovative demonstration project, LocalMotion Challenge, that decreased car traffic in one neighbourhood by 34 percent. However, commuters in the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton region still rely mostly on personal vehicles for travel, and their commute distances are increasing despite efforts to reverse these trends. For detailed findings, read the Edmonton Case Study.

To find out how Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa fared, visit the Coolest Cities website.

Greening the Grid in Alberta

Alberta's growing demand for electricity can be entirely met by tapping into the province's vast renewable energy resources.

Pembina's analysis of green electricity scenarios clearly demonstrates Alberta has incredible potential to become a leader in green power production and energy efficiency and doesn't have to rely on dirty fuels.

From Brown to Green

Greening the Grid outlines two scenarios for meeting Alberta's electricity demand. The more aggressive "green scenario" shows how Alberta could move from 70 per cent coal to 70 per cent renewable energy in just 20 years.

Report | Fact Sheet | Media Release | Figures for Print