Canada’s largest farm lobby has joined a coalition of major industrial sectors that is urging federal and provincial governments to develop a national energy strategy that includes renewable fuels.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture joined the New Energy Alliance, which issued a statement to energy ministers meeting in Alberta today to consider the abundance of natural resources that are available as biofuel feedstocks to be part of the Canadian energy strategy.
The coalition includes BioteCanada, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA), CropLife Canada, and the chemical and forestry lobbies.
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A statement to ministers meeting in Kananaskis said including biofuel, biochemicals and other biobased products in a Canadian strategy would create jobs, help the environment and give Canada an “energy advantage.”
Forest Products Association of Canada president Avrim Lazar, who spoke to the CFA annual meeting this year on how to form alliances with environmental groups, said using waste from the forestry sector makes sense.
“Producing clean energy from trees presents a remarkable opportunity for Canada.”
CRFA representative Doug Hooper said the country’s natural resource industries can be the basis of increased Canadian energy and environmental competitiveness.
“Renewable fuels are recognized as the most effective and immediate carbon action strategy to lower greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector,” he said in the statement issued outside the ministers’ meeting.
Ministers from across Canada are meeting to discuss whether the country needs a national energy strategy that could include elements as diverse as oilsands development, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric plants and ethanol production.
