Institutionalized resistance to climate change action (wind energy)

Petition: 401

Issue(s): Climate Change, governance, science and technology

Petitioner(s): Resident of Canada

Petitioner Location(s): Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Date Received: 25 May 2017

Status: Completed—Response(s) to petition received

Summary: The petition concerns funding and support priorities for low-carbon options for power generation in Saskatchewan, particularly those of wind and solar power. The petition suggests that there is an institutionalized bias in favour of carbon capture and storage, and against wind energy. The petitioner is concerned that without a balanced assessment of options, it will be difficult for Canada to reach its Paris Agreement climate change targets.

The petition asks the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to seek clarification from the Parliamentary Budget Officer about the findings of its report Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Developments, Prospects and Reductions. The petition asserts that this report was biased in favour of carbon capture and storage, and against wind energy, and that the Parliamentary Budget Officer did not respond to questions that the petitioner had raised about the report’s findings.

The petition also refers to the decision of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency not to conduct an environmental assessment of the Chinook Power Station Project (Registry 80133). The petition states that despite higher amounts of greenhouse gas emissions from the Chinook plant, its power generation plan was favoured over investment in wind energy. The petition asks the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to clarify why the Agency concluded that no environmental assessment was required for the Chinook project, and how the Agency justified its conclusion that the project had little potential to cause adverse environmental effects on areas of federal jurisdiction. The petition questions why the Agency did not address the negative environmental effects highlighted in a submission it received from the petitioner.

Federal departments responsible for reply: Environment and Climate Change Canada