The Pembina Institute works directly with communities, First Nations, companies, governments, schools and the public to create sustainable energy solutions and minimize the impacts of fossil fuel-based energy projects.

We have undertaken community-based consulting projects in British Columbia for nearly a decade; and more recently, have expanded our public and community outreach work. Today our work focuses on five primary areas. Click below to learn more:

Community Outreach and Advocacy

Pembina conducts community outreach on energy issues affecting British Columbians including the impacts of coal-fired power, coalbed methane, and oil and gas development on air, land and water. We also promote the development of low impact renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and small-scale hydropower. In the past two years, we have delivered energy workshops in more than 15 communities throughout the province. We are also working at the provincial level to ensure that the British Columbia government has one of the strongest climate change action plans in Canada.

Sustainable Communities

Pembina's Sustainable Communities Group helps communities identify and achieve their sustainability goals through energy and greenhouse gas baselines, resource monitoring, renewable energy assessments, energy and sustainability planning, and other services. The British Columbia team has worked with municipalities including Abbotsford, Bowen Island, Dawson Creek, and Smithers, and with First Nations communities in Hartley Bay, Kyuquot and Quinalt.

Corporate Consulting

The Pembina Institute actively engages with companies in British Columbia. Through our Corporate Consulting Group, we provided strategic advice and support to help companies develop sustainable business strategies. Companies we have worked with in British Columbia include Catalyst Paper and Salt Spring Island Coffee. Most recently, we helped launch the Carbon Neutral Workgroup program, designed to help small and medium-sized businesses in British Columbia become carbon neutral.

Northern BC Energy Watch

Coming soon!

GreenLearning

GreenLearning, Pembina's energy education program, aims to inspire, engage and empower today's young people. The program, which targets youth ages 8 through 24, addresses critical energy/environment issues and solutions including climate change and protection, renewable energy technologies, and energy conservation and efficiency. GreenLearning was designed to help young people develop an understanding of energy in their lives, as well as the skills to think critically, assess options, make decisions and take positive action. GreenLearning was the winner of the 2007 Alberta Emerald Foundation Award for Education.

GreenLearning provides teacher workshops and follow-up support on environmental education programs including EnerAction, eCards and reEnergy in British Columbia. Visit www.greenlearning.ca for more information.

Our Team

Matt Horne is the Director of the British Columbia Energy Solutions program. His focus is on policy change that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia and provide replicable models for the rest of Canada. In pursuit of this goal, he works on initiatives with the province, municipalities and First Nations.

Alison Bailie is a Senior Technical and Policy Advisor for the Sustainable Communties Group. She provides recommendations to governments on policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on increasing the efficiency and reducing the harm of energy consumption in homes, businesses and municipal operations.

Josha MacNab is the Associate Director of the Pembina Institute's Sustainable Communities Group. Josha focuses on finding policy solutions to municipal and provincial level climate change issues. Josha provides technical and policy advice to municipalities and First Nations communities in British Columbia that are committed to taking action on climate change through emissions reductions, energy planning and policy.

Katie Laufenberg is an eco-efficiency analyst within the Pembina Institute's Corporate Consulting Group. She works with the Canadian corporate sector by offering sustainable energy services to progressive companies. Key components of her work include research and analyses on a variety of relevant issues including carbon offsets, corporate environmental footprint and waste reduction strategies, climate change risk and strategy, and voluntary-sector industry-sector collaboration.

Claire Beckstead is a Technical and Policy Advisor with the Pembina Institute's Sustainable Communities Group. She is engaged in community energy planning and greenhouse gas inventory analysis with municipalities and First Nations groups in British Columbia. She is currently supporting many of the initiatives that are being pursued by Dawson Creek and the West Moberly First Nations.

Oliver Hendrickson is the Pembina Institute's British Columbia Energy Solutions Analyst. His interests include the development of progressive climate change policies; the protection of water resources and biodiversity; and responsible development of British Columbia's oil and gas resources. Oliver brings a wealth of technical, regulatory and legal knowledge, from both a domestic and international perspective, to his work on oil and gas issues in British Columbia.

Laura Fauth, Communications Lead, helps manage publication projects for the Pembina Institute, with a focus on British Columbia and Arctic issues.

Alison Cretney, Senior Project Manager for the Corporate Consulting Group, facilitates triple-bottom-line design of capital projects and systems thinking in decision-making for businesses. Alison also helps to identify and analyze sustainable business opportunities. Alison is currently on leave.