Canada’s net-zero pledge needs all-in commitment, says SNC-Lavalin

Recommendations: Actions to be taken immediately, according to the report, include:

■ Establishing a federal-provincial committee for the Canadian electrical grid to enable greater reliability, resiliency, and efficiency through interprovincial ties.

■ Initiating early-build projects for energy sources, such as hydro and nuclear, where a single plant easily takes more than 10 years to develop. Other renewable resources, such as wind and solar, should be developed quickly to meet load increases.

■ Expediting and funding pilot carbon capture and storage projects as quickly as possible, which are the key to eliminating the balance of greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive processes.

■ Accelerating current hydrogen (and other alternative fuels) research programs, with a minimum number of demonstration projects.

■ Consulting industry in the development of the net-zero 2050 plan to ensure concrete, measurable, and coordinated efforts are put in place and to maximize the return on investment for Canadians, both from a financial- and environmental-impact perspective.