Canada's Energy Future: The Path to Transition

There is broad recognition among Albertans and Canadians about the need to transition away from using fossil fuels as our primary source of energy. What is less clear is what exactly we are transitioning to, and what that transition will mean for our daily lives, our communities, and our economies. Without answers to those questions, it is impossible to address issues such as what government policies will be required to achieve the transition, how we prepare our economy for transition, and how we ensure that the transition will treat workers and communities fairly.

Join us for a free presentation by renowned earth scientist David Hughes as he discusses our current energy mix in Canada, the deployability of renewable energy sources, and what will be required in order for us to achieve the degree and scope of transition that is required by the climate crisis.

About David Hughes

David Hughes is an earth scientist who has studied the energy resources of Canada and the US for more than four decades, including 32 years with the Geological Survey of Canada as a scientist and research manager, where he headed unconventional gas and coal research. His research focus has been on unconventional fuels, primarily shale gas and tight oil, but also coal, coalbed methane and other unconventional sources, including oil sands, coal gasification and gas hydrates. Much of his recent work has focused on long-term energy security in light of the climate imperative and the modeling conducted by the IPCC and others. He is the author of Canada’s Energy Outlook: Current Realities and Implications for a Carbon-constrained Future, and recently represented the “No” side in a dialogue with Martha Hall Findlay on the question of whether pipelines are in the public interest published by Alberta Views magazine. Hughes is currently President of Global Sustainability Research Inc, a consultancy dedicated to research on energy and sustainability issues.

Co-sponsored by the Corporate Mapping Project and Alberta Views.

Photo © Garth Lenz

View or download the slides of David's presentation.