Statement from Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker on the Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference

Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker has released the following statement:

“Over the past three days, I had the pleasure of meeting with federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Energy and Mines on how we can work collectively to support a low-carbon and energy-secure future for all Canadians.

“We discussed ways of collaborating to enable the transition to clean, reliable and affordable energy for all Canadians. I took the opportunity to share the Yukon’s unique situation with our renewable isolated grid systems and explained how the Government of Yukon is exploring options to increase the supply of clean energy for the territory. I highlighted grid connection with British Columbia as an opportunity to increase our resilience and energy supply for advancing electrification initiatives, while also supporting First Nations and municipalities to build capacity closer to home.

“Provincial and territorial Ministers discussed ways that our public policies can encourage demand-side management and increased investments in clean energy projects. We have a critical need for federal support to modernize the Yukon’s electricity infrastructure.

“As we discussed strategies for developing a decarbonised economy, I explained our climate change strategy’s approach to lowering emissions in key sectors like mining, transportation and heating with innovative climate actions adapted to the Yukon’s context and circumstances. Our Clean Future’s climate actions are directly supporting a growing green economy in the Yukon while reducing our overall greenhouse gas emissions.

“We also discussed opportunities to strengthen the supply chain for critical minerals. This presents an opportunity for the Yukon, as we have an abundant supply of many critical minerals needed for the clean energy transition that’s underway.

“As a signatory to the Equal by 30 campaign, I reaffirmed the Government of Yukon’s commitment to increasing the participation of women in the clean energy sector by 2030. Equal leadership and equal opportunities for women is critical to supporting a clean energy transition. We are proud to work with our partners at Natural Resources Canada and across Canada to advance equity.

“We welcome the Government of Canada’s report Powering Canada Forward: Building a Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Electricity System for Every Region of Canada and its efforts to achieve a net-zero emissions grid nationwide by 2035. Working across jurisdictions with our federal, provincial and territorial counterparts will help achieve these goals through innovation, technology and diversification in our energy and resource sectors.”