Friday July 16, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., Editor | Island Social Trends
Today Premier John Horgan announced the new BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy. The goal of the new venture is to decarbonize the economy and scale up clean energy. He also sees it as a way for small businesses to grow into media and large enterprises, with benefits to economy, environment, industry and workers as part of the mix.
The announcement made online at 10 am Pacific Time included remarks from the president of Shell Canada, the president of the University of British Columbia, federal employment minister Carla Qualtrough, and BC jobs minister Ravi Kahlon.
The Government of BC and Shell Canada are each contributing $35 million to the centre that will leverage additional public and private-sector investments and participation. The Government of Canada has committed up to $35 million for the centre’s innovative projects.
Sense of urgency:
Somehow this seemed like something more than a standard government announcement. There was a calm but focused sense of urgency in Premier Horgan’s delivery of this announcement today, as if truly more is riding on this than gathering the participation of other financial and innovative contributors. He called this “an exciting day for our future”.
The future of BC — not just its economy, but the fuller aspects of being able to live well and be healthy in this part of the world — seemed to be the underlying belief of the premier who has long been proud to call Vancouver Island and this province home.
“We have massive issues to deal with and we have to all be in this together,” said Horgan during the media questions portion of the livestreamed announcement.
Greatest challenge of our time:
It might seem like an overstatement to be enthusiastic about climate change, but the heat dome heat wave that BC experienced for five days last month (June 25 to 29) was a strong wake-up call for anyone who had only casual concern for changes in the livability of this planet.
“Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, and we are already seeing its devastating effects,” said Horgan today. He explained how shifting from reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon energy requires an all-hands-on-deck approach.
“That’s why we are working together with industry and government partners to create a centre for innovation and clean energy that will build on BC’s strengths as a climate leader. By supporting new technologies, we will stimulate investment and create the good jobs of the future,” said BC’s Premier who probably saw today’s announcement as a first-post culmination of a lot of hard work by his government since 2017 around the environment and clean-tech file.
Innovators, industry, government and academics:
The centre will bring together innovators, industry, governments and academics to accelerate the commercialization and scale-up of BC-based clean-energy technologies. It will also be a catalyst for new partnerships and world-leading innovation to deliver near- and longer-term carbon emission reductions.
The Shell representative there today said for sure other industry partners are welcome to be part of the effort.
And the federal government weighed in: “Our government is committed to reducing Canada’s emissions while, at the same time, creating good quality jobs and building a greener, more resilient economy,” said Carla Qualtrough, federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, through Zoom.
“Today’s investment in the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy will help innovators advance clean-technology solutions to do just that,” said Qualtrough also saying that the impacts of climate change will intensify and have lasting impact on the Canadian economy.
Starting point:
The centre’s initial focus areas for funding and project delivery will include:
- carbon capture, utilization and storage;
- the production, use and distribution of low-carbon hydrogen;
- biofuels and synthetic fuels (including marine and aviation fuels);
- renewable natural gas; and
- battery technology, storage and energy management systems.
Goals for 2020:
The centre will also initiate new technology pathways to accelerate larger reductions on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Rising to meet the challenge of global climate change requires joint action from business and government to help scale up cleaner energy solutions,” said Susannah Pierce, president and country chair, Shell Canada.
“As a company that has operated in Canada for 110 years, we are keen to invest in low-carbon projects aligned with Shell’s target to become a net-zero emission energy business by 2050, in step with society.”
Shell highlights BC’s leadership:
Shell Canada president Susannah Pierce said today that the clean energy industry will be supportive to workers, careers and livelihoods. Meanwhile, she identified that aviation, shipping and road freight sectors still rely on carbon-based fuels.
She highlighted how “pioneering governments” like BC are needed to “step up and show leadership and change”.
“We are just at the start,” said Pierce in her remarks today.
Location to be announced:
Scheduled to launch in fall 2021, the centre will be established as a member-based, non-profit corporation operating independent from government and private entities. Its intent is to attract a wide range of companies and partners that share a common focus on low-carbon innovation and scaling up B.C.-based clean-energy technology.
Today Premier Horgan said that the spaciousness of the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University might be ideal, but the president of the University of British Columbia, Santa J Ono, was also part of today’s announcement and is pitching for UBC to be the chosen location.
Ono said today that addressing the climate crisis requires innovation, collaboration and commitment. He says that research institutions like UBC play vital roles in understanding the true impacts of climate change and in developing the solutions and talented people needed to tackle this global crisis.
Indeed, the climate-related research by the former leader of the BC Green Party, University of Victoria professor and climate scientist Dr Andrew Weaver, was a significant factor in his shift to providing political leadership in the clean energy and climate change aspects of government policy during his time in provincial politics (2013-2020).
UBC says they look forward to partnering with the BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy as it works to develop and roll out technologies that will help decarbonize the economy.
Supporting jobs:
“The Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy is part of our government’s commitment to create a better future by building an inclusive, sustainable and innovative economy with new clean-energy jobs for people throughout BC,” said Ravi Kahlon, BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation.
“The centre will help B.C.-based companies develop, scale up and launch new low-carbon energy technologies and will help establish B.C. as a global exporter of climate solutions.”
“People want a better future that will last generations,” said Kahlon in today’s media session.
The centre is part of the StrongerBC for Everyone Recovery Plan – a plan that protects people’s health and livelihoods while supporting businesses and communities.
Natural Resources Canada:
As part of Budget 2021 and delivered through Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program, the federal government’s contribution to the centre will advance clean-energy technologies that help Canada meet its climate change targets and build a low-emissions energy future.
Shell has announced a strategy to accelerate its transformation into a provider of net-zero emission energy products and services and is working with customers, businesses and governments to address emissions, particularly in sectors that are difficult to decarbonize. Shell recently invested in Quebec’s first commercial-scale, waste-to-low-carbon fuels plant and earlier this month announced a proposed large-scale carbon-capture and storge facility in Alberta.
===== LINKS:
StrongerBC: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/
Government of Canada’s Energy Innovation Program: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-and-data/funding-partnerships/funding-opportunities/funding-grants-incentives/energy-innovation-program/18876)
Shell’s climate target, visit: www.shell.com/powering-progress
