Research by the International Energy Agency and action to train thousands of energy efficiency experts in Canada indicate commitment to mitigation of the effects of the climate emergency.
Solar electrical skills needed
Emma Grane, energy reporter for the Globe and Mail, writes about a new report from the International Energy Agency that declares investment in any new oil and gas developments must stop immediately, electricity should be 90 per cent renewable by 2050 and governments must “close the gap between rhetoric and action” if the world is to meet its goal of net-zero emissions and limit the worst impacts of climate change.
It recommends no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects or coal plants without carbon-reduction technology, starting today. By 2030, it says, solar and wind should be scaling up at four times the speed they did in 2020, and by 2035 there should be no sales of new internal-combustion-engine passenger cars. Reaching net-zero will require a huge decline in the use of fossil fuels, falling from almost four-fifths of total energy supply today to slightly more than one-fifth by 2050, it says. Those that remain in play in 2050 should only be used where the carbon is part of the product (such as plastics), in facilities fitted with carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) and in sectors in which low-emissions technology options are scarce.1
The International Energy Agency recommends no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects or coal plants without carbon-reduction technology, starting today.
Benjamin Storrow, E&E News, published by Scientific American on May 18, 2021, reports that Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 are possible according to a landmark report from the International Energy Agency that outlines the steps needed to overhaul energy systems to meet global warming goals. Net Zero by 2050 is a roadmap for the Global Energy Sector.
IEA’s findings are significant on several levels. Net-zero road maps are traditionally the provenance of academics, International Panel on Climate Change modelers and green-hued think tanks. The IEA, an agency established in response to the oil crisis of 1973 and 1974, has long been pilloried by greens for failing to accurately capture the growth of renewables and for a hesitant embrace of the energy transition. In that sense, today’s report represents an endorsement from the energy establishment, giving industry credence to the idea it is possible to essentially eliminate emissions from the world’s energy system in the next three decades. “IEA analysis has been used to prop up the fossil fuel system,” said Kingsmill Bond, an energy strategist at Carbon Tracker, a London-based think tank that studies the financial impact of climate change. “The fact the IEA specifically has come out with this analysis suggesting that change is possible is extremely significant.”2
The IEA examines the full spectrum of energy issues including oil, gas and coal supply and demand, renewable energy technologies, electricity markets, energy efficiency, access to energy, demand side management and much more.
This special report is the world’s first comprehensive study of how to transition to a net zero energy system by 2050 while ensuring stable and affordable energy supplies, providing universal energy access, and enabling robust economic growth. It sets out a cost-effective and economically productive pathway, resulting in a clean, dynamic and resilient energy economy dominated by renewables like solar and wind instead of fossil fuels. The report also examines key uncertainties, such as the roles of bioenergy, carbon capture and behavioural changes in reaching net zero.3
Through its work, the IEA advocates policies that will enhance the reliability, affordability and sustainability of energy in its 30 member countries, 8 association countries and beyond.
Electrical Generation Changes
The Canadian Press reports that Ottawa is looking for 2,000 new energy auditors to get a home retrofit program going that promises to provide homeowners up to $5K in grants to make upgrades that curb energy use.
"We need to train more because I think very soon we will be announcing an ambitious greener homes initiative and it is going to affect thousands of Canadians," O'Regan said. "And we know that energy advisers are going to be in demand. Recruiting up to 2,000 more of them right across the country is a very good investment for what's coming down the pipe on the greener homes announcements." All buildings in Canada, including homes, private businesses and public buildings, contribute almost one-fifth of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions each year, largely from the fuels used for heating and electricity.4
Efficiency Canada joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at an announcement of a $10 million investment in training for new energy advisors. Corey Diamond, the executive director of Efficiency Canada, the national voice for an energy efficient economy, based at Carleton University. Efficiency Canada advocates for policies that will help Canada maximize the benefits of energy efficiency to support a sustainable environment, a productive economy and a just and equitable society.
Corey Diamond, executive director of Efficiency Canada, the national voice for an energy efficient economy, based at Carleton University, tells a story about Shawna Henderson. Shawna is the founder and CEO of the training company Blue House Energy in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is a veteran in the energy efficiency space, having worked in the industry since 1991. In 2001, as a single mother, she began training people in energy efficiency and related construction fields, driving herself and her kids around her home province talking to anyone that would listen about the benefits of saving energy. She eventually decided to take her know-how online and launched Blue House Energy’s education platform in 2012. She is known across the country now as an expert energy advisor, passing her knowledge down to the next generation of energy advisors with a staff of 9.5
Investment and employment associated with the effort to achieve a Net Zero Economy are turning to energy efficient buildings and a large increase in the role of solar and wind resources in the generation of electricity. These trends point to areas of skilled employment in the next few decades.
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