What will it take for Canada to become a clean energy super power? With more than 700 companies, the clean technology sector has emerged as a major driver of innovation and employment growth in Canada. But, if you ask the experts, federal policy and access to capital are still major barriers to a thriving clean energy industry in Canada. 

This backgrounder features new analysis showing that producing enough bitumen to fill the Keystone XL pipeline would lead to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and inhibit Canada’s ability to meet its climate targets.

The Energy Efficiency (EE) Check pilot project is a demonstration of an innovative approach for supporting energy efficiency retrofits for large buildings and smaller and mid-size industrial facilities.

Pembina's analysis finds the proposed federal regulations for tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles and light trucks may have little to no effect on reducing climate change pollution.

Geoexchange systems, also known as low-temperature or shallow geothermal systems, utilize the constant temperature just below the earth's surface to heat and cool buildings. These types of systems use mature, proven technologies and have been successfully used around the world for years. They are extremely efficient, providing three to four units of free energy for every one unit of energy consumed. Geoexchange systems can be used in residential, commercial and industrial buildings and have many technical, environmental and economic benefits.

Pembina completed a preliminary review of the environmental risks and benefits of underground coal gasification (UCG). What is UCG? Instead of removing coal from the ground and transporting it to a power plant to be combusted and turned into electricity, UCG operators hope to convert the coal locked underground into a gas, known as synthesis gas or syngas, that can be extracted at the site without mining. The report concludes that a pilot project in Alberta seems like a necessary next step to understand how mitigate the risks of the technology and determine if the considerable benefits can be realized. The pilot would have be developed with the support of the local community.

This fact sheet addresses questions about the social, environmental and economic impacts of large-scale wind power production in Canada and around the world.

Purchasing Carbon Offsets: A Guide for Canadian Consumers, Businesses, and Organizations is a guide for Canadians seeking to offset climate-altering emissions from air travel or other activities. The guide provides general information on offsets, as well as a comparative ranking of 20 offset vendors from Canada and around the world. The ranking is based on criteria established by staff from the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation, and is a joint publication.

The U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) is a coalition of transnational companies and major environmental groups that advocates for strong federal U.S. legislation on climate change. Using insider perspectives this report explores USCAP's successes and challenges to date, and offers lessons to those interested in cross-sector partnerships for influencing regulation and policy.

By: Kyla Fisher, Erin Bishop, Glynn Davis, Ed Whittingham

This report explores corporate perspectives on Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER) within the Canadian unconventional gas industry. In it, executives, senior managers, engineers and others comment on their definitions of corporate environmental responsibility, their views on the role of environmental NGOs in promoting CER, and their experiences with collaborating with the ENGO community.

This compendium is a collection of six case studies showing how cross-sector partnerships can be used as vehicles for sustainable development in Canada.

This document summarizes the proceedings from the Pembina Institute's Carbon Pricing for a Sustainable Economy conference, held in Calgary in October 2007.

The conference brought together a wide range of experts and practitioners for an intensive workshop with the goals of (a) highlighting and sharing cutting-edge thinking on carbon pricing tools, and (b) vetting and refining concrete design proposals that could form the basis for future policy.

About one hundred participants from a broad range of industry, government, ENGO, media and academic sectors took part, bringing their expertise as professionals, interests as stakeholders and problem-solving skills to the table.

The Delegates Package, including pre-conference readings, is also available.

A summary of the key proceedings and discussions arising from the Institute's "Thought Leader Forum on Environmental NGO-Industry Collaboration", held November 14, 2006, in Kananaskis Country, Alberta.

This report is a comprehensive view of the environmental community's expectations of companies that claim to be environmentally responsible. In the report, more than 50 environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) define corporate environmental responsibility and describe their vision of an environmentally responsible company.

A Life-Cycle Value Assessment of the Integrated Manure Utililization System, an emerging technology to convert cattle manure into electricity, heat, biofertilizer and reusable water, demonstrates the significant potential for this technology to improve the triple-bottom-line performance of intensive livestock operations.

This report provides an overview of a Pembina Institute pilot initiative, sponsored by the Climate Change Bureau of Environment Canada, entitled The One Tonne Corporate Challenge (OTCC). It details the Pembina Institute's experience in coordinating the OTCC, as well as some of the various strategies used and results achieved. Lessons learned in the process of project design, development and implementation are also outlined.

The Pembina Institute has begun to think strategically about realizing its long-term outcomes and objectives. As part of this process, the organizaiton is using scenario planning to enhance its strategic thinking and to examine the question of focus versus diversity. This report outlines the results of the scenario-planning process conducted by the Pembina Institute.

This 170-page Life-Cycle Value Assessment evaluates environmental and economic factors of a wide range of technically advanced options for operating automobiles and buses in Canada, as well as identifying challenges and social costs and benefits.

This 100-page guide uses a step-by-step approach to show how businesses can plan and implement a response to climate change and achieve lower costs, higher productivity and increased competitiveness.