REPORT FROM THE RENEWABLES IN REMOTE COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE

Report from Climate Reality Regional Engagement Coordinator, Sarah Newton, on the conference hosted by the Pembina Institute, April 25–28, 2022 on the Traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dun and Ta’an Kwachan Council (Whitehorse, Yukon)

There is a huge opportunity for remote communities to participate in reducing Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions because so many of them rely primarily on diesel generators for electrical power production. For this opportunity to be seized, time is of the essence, as devastating climate impacts already bear down on us, such as flooding, fires and heat waves. Only if significant progress is made before 2030, can our collective goal of a net zero society by 2050 be attainable, as has been highlighted in the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Committee (IPCCC) report.

During the conference, many different First Nation, Metis, and Inuit groups came together to discuss renewable energy in remote communities and the important contribution these projects make to Canada’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Download the report