Choosing to scale up green energy to replace the retiring Pickering nuclear station is more affordable for Ontarians than buying expensive replacement reactors, says a report released today by Renewable is Doable, an alliance of organizations including the Pembina Institute, the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Greenpeace.  Last summer, Ontario suspended its purchase of two new replacement reactors when their cost reportedly topped $26 billion — $20 billion more than expected in 2007.

The federal government is out of step with leading thinkers on issues related to sustainability, energy and climate change, according to the results of a groundbreaking survey of more than 5,000 experts and government officials.

As part of the Green Energy Act Alliance, Pembina applauds Ontario's plans to spend $8 billion on renewable energy projects.

Cherise Burda says Canada is taking an "America Lite" approach with the announcement of new federal vehicle emissions regulations. While Canada's regulations match the U.S. requirements for passenger vehiclees, Canada is not matching the level of federal support that the Obama administration has announced for public transit and vehicle efficiency.

Pembina's analysis shows the U.S. is set to outspend Canada nearly 18:1 per capita on renewables, and more than 8:1 per capita overall on sustainable energy programs and projects in 2010.

The 2010 federal budget could hardly do less on renewable energy and climate change issues, said Tim Weis, Director of the Pembina Institute's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program.

A policy expert from the Pembina Institute will be available for comment and analysis following the release of the federal budget on March 4.

Matthew Bramley, Director of the Pembina Institute's Climate Change Program, said today's federal Throne Speech fails to clearly signal an improvement in the government's poor track record on climate change and investment in the clean energy economy.

A new report by the Pembina Institute and Credit Valley Conservation found that the Credit River Watershed provides services worth more than $371 million to area residents each year.

In a joint statement released today, a unique partnership of industry and environmental organizations have outlined the key elements for an effective Canadian cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.

Tim Weis, Director of the Pembina Institute’s renewable energy and efficiency program, reacted to Michael Ignatieff’s speech today in Vancouver, saying the Liberal leader's committments to make significant investments in clean energy jobs and set a hard cap on carbon emissions are encouraging, but more details about targets and mechanisms are needed to make the plan workable.

Dr. Marlo Raynolds, Executive Director of the Pembina Institute, has been named a recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 award for 2008.

A few critical additions, including mandatory public consultation and binding limits on cumulative impacts, are needed if proposed new provincial land-use planning legislation is to better manage development and its impacts on Alberta's landscapes and communities.

Royal Dutch Shell has abandoned its written agreements to significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution at its Jackpine Mine and Muskeg River Mine Expansion oil sands projects.

Alberta's decision to eliminate the natural gas subsidy is a positive step towards promoting energy conservation and efficiency, but it leaves fixed and lower income Albertans exposed to high energy prices.

The Energy Resources and Conservation Board released a new directive today that could help reduce the future creation of toxic tailings waste from oil sands mining. Since 1967, oil sands mining operators have been allowed to manage tailings on a voluntary basis with little government enforcement. The new directive will, for the first time, require operators to submit annual plans, including schedules, for reducing toxic fluid tailings waste.

The Government of Alberta has repeatedly failed to respond to questions regarding its ability to effectively monitor and enforce water withdrawal restrictions for oil sands companies, noted a number of Alberta environmental groups.

In an echo of Barack Obama’s dramatic green jobs surge, leading Canadian civil society groups with a combined membership of over 850,000 people are calling for a massive Green Economy Action Fund to be part of January’s federal budget.

In response to today’s release of the new Alberta Land-Use Framework (LUF), the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta have provided the Government of Alberta with a checklist for its successful implementation.

Alberta’s new Land-Use Framework could become one of the government’s most important policy and legislative initiatives in several decades, but its success is not guaranteed. A new report released today by the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Northern Alberta provides the Government of Alberta with a proposed implementation roadmap for the LUF.