Announcing Government of Alberta as Convening Partner

The Energy Futures Lab (EFL) is proud to announce the Government of Alberta as a convening partner. Recognizing the need for innovative ideas and new partnerships in the transition to a carbon competitive and more diversified economy, the Government of Alberta is officially joining the Lab to support and enhance its vast potential.

The other EFL convening organizations – The Natural Step Canada, Suncor Energy Foundation, The Banff Centre, and Pembina Institute – are thrilled to work with the Government of Alberta and have the province’s support at such a pivotal time in shaping our energy future.

At a late-January EFL reception in Edmonton, Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips had these thoughts to share with Energy Futures Lab Fellows and partners as she announced the Alberta government’s support:

“The Energy Futures Lab can serve as a forum to help foster the innovations necessary to actualize and accelerate the transition to a low carbon future. I’m pleased the Government of Alberta is joining Suncor, The Natural Step, the Banff Centre, and Pembina Institute in supporting the Energy Futures Lab. It’s a fantastic Alberta-driven initiative backed by a diverse group of innovators and influencers. This is about our economic future: diversification, innovation and jobs. With collaborative support like this for our entrepreneurs and innovators, I believe that we can see new and effective innovations and technologies. Ideas and technologies that could unlock the next deposit, reduce the impact of tailings, create energy from waste or accomplish something we haven’t even thought of yet. These technologies will help create new jobs and help build our knowledge economy. Our next big energy export might be a technology that helps the world reduce carbon emissions from energy production.

We understand there is a tremendous of vulnerability for Albertans right now. We can’t control the price of oil, but what we can do is control how we respond to it. We can also control how we treat each other through crisis. So we have chosen to be collaborative and solutions focused. We are not interested in throwing tantrums. We are interested in substantive, productive engagement on this serious project of nation building. We have chosen, as a government to invest in diversifying our economy. We have chosen, as a government to find new markets for our products. We have chosen as a government to look for ways that we can add value and become carbon competitive and build on our current advantages. We have chosen to work together. That, we believe, is the actual Alberta way. And that’s why we’re proud to support the Energy Futures Lab, whose chorus of diverse voices reflects a kind of well-versed input we want and need in moving to a carbon competitive economy. I’d like to wrap things up with some thoughts specifically for the Fellows. You’ve earned a tremendous opportunity by being part of the Energy Futures Lab Fellowship and I encourage you to make the most of it. Future generations in our province may just look back at this time and initiatives like the Energy Futures Lab as the moment when real leadership for addressing climate change began to blossom. As you dive into the innovation process and the interaction with all these diverse stakeholders, remember to ask yourselves difficult questions.

How can we build public engagement support for a low carbon future? How can we work together to help change the public conversation particularly at a time of such difficulty for so many Albertans? How will we – not can we – diversify the economy, add value to our resources and create good jobs for Albertans? And can we find pathways to low emissions energy production or even a non-combustion future for our hydrocarbons. I’m very interested to see where you can go from here.”

I’m pleased the Government of Alberta is joining Suncor, The Natural Step, the Banff Centre, and Pembina Institute in supporting the Energy Futures Lab.