Sustainability

Sustainable mobility is facing some very real challenges from COVID-19. Transit ridership has collapsed. Rising single-occupancy vehicle travel and suburban flight pose genuine threats to the progress many Canadian cities have made. Deep uncertainty remains about the persistence of these behaviours and their implications for urban mobility.

Issue briefing  |  15-min read
June 2, 2021

There are over 100 remote communities in Canada with more than 50 permanent residents each. None are connected to our national power grid. Imagine a microgrid system that offsets diesel use for each one. Microgrids are small-scale, self-sufficient energy systems. They can be the key to emissions reductions, resilience, and localized control of services—especially in Northern, Indigenous, and remote communities.

Online experience  |  4-min read
April 26, 2021

The CEGE Indicator Platform is an interactive online dashboard to monitor our progress toward a clean energy growth economy. Over the next four years, we will track the movement of specific economic indicators under three themes: economy, environment, and society.

Online experience  |  45-min read
March 29, 2021

Zero-emissions, non-intermittent, cost-competitive electricity. As Canada electrifies, the potential of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to deliver these attributes is gaining steam. Seeking dividends Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta have committed to a memorandum of understanding to develop and deploy SMRs in Canada. While their motivations differ, transitioning their electricity markets toward carbon neutrality is a common theme.

Executive summary  |  4-min read
March 17, 2021

Pre-pandemic, the climate crisis was already critical. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had released its landmark report, the United Nations had declared 2020 a “Nature Super Year,” and a record number of communities across Canada declared climate states of emergencies. COVID-19 may have slowed our pace of life and created a temporary dip in emissions, but our need to address the climate challenge is still very much alive and urgent.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
Roger Francis & Samantha Page—December 10, 2020

Canada is an energy bank. We need to treat it like one. We require an energy system strategy that would allow Canada to lead (not follow) market opportunities and leverage our capital to transition to a low carbon future. An energy system strategy will allow us to better monitor and achieve our transition.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
Roger Francis—December 7, 2020

The time to support a vision for public transportation is now. The pandemic has highlighted the role of public transit in sustainable urban centres, and two visions of the future are taking shape. In short, a future of automobile-centric sprawl.

Op-ed  |  3-min read
November 27, 2020