October 15, 2009

PARIS — The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, returned to Canada today from the International Energy Agency (IEA) ministerial meeting in Paris.

Ministers from the IEA’s 27 member nations met to discuss energy security and efforts to move toward a low carbon energy future. Minister Raitt highlighted Canada's leadership role in advancing the development and implementation of clean energy technologies, including carbon capture and storage.

“Carbon capture and storage is the most viable technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Minister Raitt. “Our Government’s recent investment in large-scale demonstration projects further advances Canada’s leadership in this technology, while building a knowledge base to share this expertise with our global partners.”

Minister Raitt reiterated Canada’s commitment to meet 90 percent of electricity demand from non-emitting sources by 2020 and noted progress in increasing renewable energy production and ongoing improvements in energy efficiency. A newly released IEA report entitled IEA Scoreboard: 35 key energy trends over 35 years recognizes Canada’s performance in energy efficiency.

The importance of Canada's oil sands was noted during discussion on energy security.

“Canada's oil sands are a key strategic resource that will contribute to the energy security of Canada, North America, and the world," said Minister Raitt. “As the holder of the most significant oil resource outside of OPEC countries, Canada will continue to develop this resource in an environmentally responsible way.”

Notable highlights included the participation of non-IEA members  China, India and Russia, as well as a keynote address by Dr. Henry Kissinger, who underlined the importance of energy security in a volatile world while reaching out to emerging consumer nations.

Priority meetings were held with international partners on increasing the stability of the global supply of medical isotopes. Minister Raitt also took the opportunity to hold roundtables on Canadian oil sands and mining with a number of industry and investment leaders.