Canada Strengthens Energy Partnership with Germany
by David Fleschen
Canada is one of over 120 countries committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This commitment is critical to maintaining competitiveness and ability to create and sustain good, middle class jobs as we build back better from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Minister Peter Altmaier, Germany’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, today entered into an energy partnership, establishing a formal collaboration in a broad range of shared energy priorities aimed at facilitating private sector engagement, and trade and investment opportunities.
Announced on the margins of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, the partnership positions Canada as a clean energy partner of choice for Germany, notably for hydrogen, critical minerals and liquefied natural gas.
Canada and Germany will establish a High-Level Steering Committee, co-chaired at the Deputy Minister–level, to foster the energy transformation through exchanges on policy, best practices and technologies as well as through cooperative activities and projects focused on:
- energy policy, planning and regulations;
- resilient electricity systems that can integrate high levels of renewables;
- energy efficiency;
- sector coupling and low-carbon fuels; and
- innovation and applied research.
The partnership underscores the importance of strategic partnerships between the two countries, including Canada’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
As part of the dialogue, Minister O’Regan also participated in a panel where he highlighted the strong interests between the two countries, as well as with other European nations, and emphasized the trust that Germany has already put in Canadian know-how and technology. Canada and Germany’s ambitious climate plans and national hydrogen strategies highlight the commitment taken by both to work toward a clean energy future.
Source: Government of Canada, Photo: Fotolia