Energy & Environment

Energy: it's the challenge of the 21st century. As demand mounts and costs continue to skyrocket, companies must find new ways to gain efficiencies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And so must producers. A reliable, sustainable, and cost-competitive supply of energy is essential to the long-term development of Canada's economy.

For longer than it has been fashionable, CME has worked alongside both the private sector and government regulators to help companies maintain and improve their competitiveness in an environmentally responsible manner. While industrial energy use increased 28 per cent between 1990 and 2007, manufacturers led the way in productivity improvements - reducing their emissions by almost seven per cent in the same timeframe. Why? Because it makes good business sense.

CME's policy team focuses of the following key areas:

• Climate Change
• Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)
• Ensuring a Reliable, Cost-Competitive Supply of Energy

Climate Change

Priority

Ensure an effective, competitive and harmonized approach to Canadian climate change policy.

Significance

While members believe that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a priority, CME is concerned about the current ongoing failure to introduce harmonized climate change policies in Canada. Our members seek a North America-wide approach to climate change policy as opposed to a patchwork of half measures.

CME Objectives

• Use incentives to help manufacturers reduce emissions with greater support for investments in manufacturing technologies and industrial innovation.
• Ensure harmonized reporting of greenhouse gas emissions across Canada .
• Ensure a uniform approach for treating manufacturing under federal and provincial climate change initiatives. The ultimate goal is a federal-provincial agreement on GHG reduction targets and how to get there, as long as it takes competitiveness and early action by manufacturers into account. 
• Continually highlight to government, industry and the public, the significant reductions in GHG emissions achieved by Canadian manufacturers.

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Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

Priority

Ensuring the federal government introduces effective and harmonized regulations and policies that fall under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

Significance

CME members view managing hazardous chemicals as a priority. Under the current Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), the Chemicals Management Plan has been a major issue for manufacturers. The federal government has identified 195 priority chemicals to be assessed through a succession of 12 batches. The government’s ultimate goal is to decide if each of those substances should be banned in Canada. Environment Canada and Health Canada are currently profiling each substance and proceeding through consultations. 

The Chemicals Management Plan is also causing some added administrative burden for many of our member companies, without improving environmental quality. For example, one of our members will be required to report on more than 3,000 components brought in from suppliers all over the world. Contacting this many suppliers for information about their part is a daunting task and few suppliers are forthcoming with confidential product information. This issue is causing serious competitiveness concerns.

CME Objectives

• Ensure that there is real environmental improvement from initiatives under CEPA.
• Ensure a harmonized approach to chemicals management without duplication.
• Reduce administrative and regulations red tape under CEPA.

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Ensuring a Reliable, Cost-Competitive Supply of Energy

Priority

Ensure continued access to a reliable and cost-competitive supply of energy and electricity across Canada.

Significance

Strengthening Canada’s energy and logistics infrastructure requires a multi-faceted approach, whether it's expediting project approvals or ensuring reliable access to a secure, reasonably-priced supply of energy for industrial consumers. Along the way, energy efficiency should be rewarded with clear policy for energy development & distribution from oil sands, nuclear, hydro, natural gas, and alternative sources. They're all key to ensuring Canadian manufacturers stay competitive.

CME Objectives

• Develop a shared vision and common strategy for leveraging manufacturing and exporting opportunities from energy and resource development.
• Ensure that tax and regulatory measures encourage capital replacement and investment in new technologies .
• Advocate for additional power generation to increase electricity supply and stabilize prices across Canada.
• Promote the fast-tracking on new and refurbished nuclear power generation programs in Ontario.
• Strengthen support for energy efficiency measures through CIPEC.
• Support Canada-US collaboration in all aspects of the Smart Grid – from energy supply, the role of technology and innovation, cyber security, storage as well as transmission.

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