Pembina Institute News

Toronto transit update: time to put down the felt pens and pick up the right plan (blog)

Graham Haines — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:13:48 +0000

Toronto City Council meets today to make a decision on the fate of the 2009 memorandum of agreement for the city’s former light rail plan. As councillors debate, we addressed some questions that have been circulating about the various transit options on the table for Toronto.

Making Tracks to Torontonians 2012 (publication)

Cherise Burda, Graham Haines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

An analysis of proposed transit plans in Toronto in February 2012.

Pembina reacts to the release of British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy (media release)

Matt Horne — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Matt Horne, director of the Pembina Institute’s climate change program, made the following statement in response to the release of British Columbia’s Natural Gas Strategy.

Pembina reacts to new joint oilsands monitoring plan (media release)

Jennifer Grant, Julia Kilpatrick — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Jennifer Grant, director of the Pembina Institute’s oilsands program, comments on the new joint Canada-Alberta implementation plan for oilsands monitoring.

Helping Calgary meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets (blog)

Jesse Row — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:35:42 +0000

Recently, Calgary City Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of adopting its first citywide greenhouse gas plan. The plan aims to reduce the city’s emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, and 80 per cent by 2050, below 2005 levels and I’m thrilled to say that the Pembina Institute’s community services consulting group helped to write it.

Carbon pricing and Canada’s New West Partnership: An $8 billion opportunity (blog)

Matt Horne — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:28:30 +0000

The premiers of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have pledged to meet with the federal government to discuss a national energy strategy and the related issue of regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Before that meeting happens, let’s examine their efforts to price carbon, a critical component of any cost-effective approach to dealing with climate change.

Mayor Ford’s Facebook page misinterprets Pembina’s transit analysis (blog)

Cherise Burda — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:09:23 +0000

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford claims on his Facebook page that the Pembina Institute’s 2011 analysis of Toronto transit options support his case for a Sheppard Subway. Although we are pleased to see that the Mayor appreciates our work, some of his points require clarification.

Groups ask Federal Court to force Environment Minister’s hand on caribou (media release)

Simon Dyer, Ecojustice, Alberta Wilderness Association — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Environment Minister Peter Kent’s failure to reconsider emergency protection for woodland caribou in northeastern Alberta has prompted environmental groups to ask for the Federal Court’s help.

CLEAN Cities (publication)

Tim Weis, Benjamin Thibault — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Utility franchise fees can be used to enable cities to develop local CLEAN contracts, the world’s most successful renewable energy policies.

CLEAN power for cities combines economics with environment (blog)

Ben Thibault — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:06:52 +0000

Market access just one hurdle facing oilsands pipeline proponents (blog)

Nathan Lemphers — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:47:46 +0000

As the pipeline debate on this side of the border shifts to the fate of the Northern Gateway proposal, the U.S. government’s rejection of the Keystone project shows that Canada faces real barriers in getting oilsands to market — and, despite what some pundits say, those barriers are not just political.

U.S. decision on Keystone XL pipeline took climate consequences into account (blog)

Jennifer Grant — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:34:36 +0000

The Obama administration’s surprise decision to deny the proposed Keystone XL pipeline created quite the media storm yesterday, and for good reason.

In defending the decision, the president highlighted the risks the project could pose to “the health and safety of the American people and [to] the environment,” and the need to adequately review those concerns. And while a wide range of responses surfaced from the Republicans, Democrats, public opinion leaders and local interest groups, one story in particular caught our eye.

Pembina reacts to Obama administration's denial of Keystone XL pipeline (media release)

Ed Whittingham, Julia Kilpatrick — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Ed Whittingham, executive director at the Pembina Institute, responds to the Obama administration’s denial of the application for the Keystone XL pipeline.

The truth about our funding (blog)

Ed Whittingham — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:01:20 +0000

An open letter from the Pembina Institute to Canadians

Dear friends,

As you may have noticed, the Harper government and the “Ethical Oil Inc” front group have been working to discredit groups like the Pembina Institute and our work on energy issues by claiming that we are a “foreign-funded,” “radical” organization advocating against the best interests of Canadians.

Allow us to set the record straight.

Pembina Institute Annual Financial Report 2010 (publication)

Pembina Institute — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

This financial report presents a summary of the Pembina Institute's 2010 Financial Statements along with a list of supporters.

A provincial approach to regulating coal doesn’t mean the Feds are off the hook (blog)

P.J. Partington — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:31:22 +0000

The federal government has repeatedly touted its forthcoming regulations for coal-fired electricity as proof that it’s serious about climate change. It was therefore concerning to see reports from the Globe and Mail last week that suggest the government might “backtrack” on their coal regulations even before the final version has seen the light of day.

Government statements on Gateway hearings show Canada is open for business, closed to criticism (op-ed)

Nathan Lemphers — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Apparently Canada is open for business but closed to criticism, no matter how constructive. This is the clearest conclusion that can be drawn from Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver’s open letter to Canadians, in which he attacks advocates of responsible oil-sands development as “radicals” and dismisses the concerns of thousands of Canadians who want to have a say in the decision of whether to build Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

Business Leaders Urge B.C. to “Stay the Course” on Climate Leadership (media release)

David Suzuki Foundation, Pembina Institute, Tides Canada — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

In an open letter released today, 85 British Columbia business leaders call on the provincial government to reaffirm and strengthen its leadership on climate change.

Climate Leadership Ensures a Better Future (publication)

David Suzuki Foundation, Pembina Institute, Tides Canada — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Recently, the International Energy Agency warned that we have fewer than five years left to act if we are to avoid irreversible climate change. We, the undersigned, believe our government has both an obligation and an opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions.

New report finds Alberta must strengthen emissions rules to meet climate commitments (media release)

Simon Dyer, Marc Huot, David Dodge — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

In the most comprehensive assessment of Alberta’s climate change policies to date, a new report by the Pembina Institute concludes that Alberta’s current approach will deliver less than one third of the greenhouse gas reductions the Government of Alberta has committed to, but strengthening current policies could enable the province to meet its climate targets.

Responsible Action? An assessment of Alberta’s greenhouse gas policies provides a detailed evaluation of current regulations and financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and identifies key opportunities for the Government of Alberta to strengthen its approach to climate change.