Measures to secure a rapid shift away from petroleum-based fuels for transportation in Canada
Preamble
WHEREAS Eastern Canada is heavily dependent upon imported oil;
WHEREAS Continued expansion of bitumen mining is negating any attempt to meet the greenhouse gas emissions target announced by the government of Canada at Copenhagen in 2009 - a target which is itself grossly inadequate in terms of both efficacy and global equity;
WHEREAS Proposed new construction, twinning, converting and reversing of oil pipelines, almost certainly intended for export of diluted bitumen, is being justified by some as a "national energy policy";
WHEREAS The International Energy Agency (in its 2010 World Energy Outlook report) found that bitumen production needs to peak at or below 3.3 million barrels per day in order to satisfy the IEA's only scenario consistent with a 50% chance of avoiding 2degC global temperature rise; the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers predicts that output in 2020 will be 3.4 million barrels - and therefore the climate cannot afford further expansion of bitumen sands extraction;
WHEREAS Domestically, by far the largest proportion of petroleum-based fuel is used in transportation;
WHEREAS The National Inventory Report detailing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 showed the transport sector to be responsible for 195 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (or 28% of total emissions) While it is more difficult to assess from that report the GHG emissions attributable to the oil/gas industry, they are most likely between 120 and 160 million tonnes (16 to 23%), and currently growing rapidly as a result of bitumen sands development.
Operative
BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Green Party of Canada will work for a rapid transition of the Canadian motor industry to non-dependence on fossil fuels. This should be achieved through a mixture of:
- a legislated phase-out over two to three decades of construction or import of vehicles with petroleum-fuelled engines;
- the development of a national plan for a network of electric vehicle recharge and battery exchange stations, financial incentives for production and sale in Canada of non-petroleum-based vehicles (electric, fuel cell), or in those circumstances where it can be guaranteed to be sustainable in terms of energy return on energy input, food production and biodiversity, powered by fuels of biological origin. This should include support both for conversion of existing plant and manufacturers and for new emergent manufacturers;
- government research funding for development of lower-cost and more energy-dense battery technology suitable for use in electric vehicles;
- active support for a research, development and design base in fuel cell technology; and a legislated phase-out over three to four decades of petroleum-based fuel provision, except for special-use vehicles.
Background
Recent talk of a "national energy policy" assumes continued dependence on fossil oil - and therefore continued high greenhouse gas emissions. While it will take decades to transition both vehicles and infrastructure away from fossil fuels, that shift is an essential element in a sustainable climate policy. Climate science [1] shows the need to urgently initate such a transition.
Canada's latest National Inventory Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, gives the following data for transport and oil/gas industry emissions in 2012 [2]. Unfortunately, mining is included with some of the latter, so a fully accurate assessment of the full contribution of the Canadian oil industry on national emissions is not possible):
- Transport 195.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- Fossil fuel production and refining 63.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide
equivalent
- Mining and oil/gas extraction 40.9 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- Fugitive sources from oil/gas 60.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- (During the same year, total emissions were calculated at 699 Mte CO2e)
The single most rapidly growing source of GHG emissions in Canada is the bitumen sands industry in northern Alberta [3]
Transitioning away rapidly from petroleum would additionally enable substantially greater energy independence for eastern Canada, without resorting to risky pipeline projects.
This transition is assumed complementary with:
- encouragement of low-carbon transport options (cycling, walking, etc),
- active development of both local and transcontinental public transit services
- encouragement of municipal planning philosophies which reduce travel requirements.
- a rapid phase-out first of coal and then of fossil gas in electricity generation.
1 Note especially the latest Working Group 3 Assessment Report: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014), Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. (IPCC AR5 WG3) Available online at
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/
2 Environment Canada (2014), National Inventory Report 1990-2010: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada - the Canadian Government's Submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, part 3, pp44-45
3 See, for example, Environment Canada (2013:Oct), Canada's Emissions Trends, pp21-33
Code
Proposal Type
Submitter Name
Party Commentary
This motion is redundant with policies in vision green, however, no such specific policies formally exist in the membership approved policy. The motion adds specific proposals for phasing out of petroleum fuelled vehicles, research into electric vehicles and phasing out of fuel provision. The proposals for eventually eliminating petroleum fuelled vehicles and fuel provision (gas stations) may pose communication challenges.
Preamble
WHEREAS Eastern Canada is heavily dependent upon imported oil;
WHEREAS Continued expansion of bitumen mining is negating any attempt to meet the greenhouse gas emissions target announced by the government of Canada at Copenhagen in 2009 - a target which is itself grossly inadequate in terms of both efficacy and global equity;
WHEREAS Proposed new construction, twinning, converting and reversing of oil pipelines, almost certainly intended for export of diluted bitumen, is being justified by some as a "national energy policy";
WHEREAS The International Energy Agency (in its 2010 World Energy Outlook report) found that bitumen production needs to peak at or below 3.3 million barrels per day in order to satisfy the IEA's only scenario consistent with a 50% chance of avoiding 2degC global temperature rise; the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers predicts that output in 2020 will be 3.4 million barrels - and therefore the climate cannot afford further expansion of bitumen sands extraction;
WHEREAS Domestically, by far the largest proportion of petroleum-based fuel is used in transportation;
WHEREAS The National Inventory Report detailing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 showed the transport sector to be responsible for 195 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (or 28% of total emissions) While it is more difficult to assess from that report the GHG emissions attributable to the oil/gas industry, they are most likely between 120 and 160 million tonnes (16 to 23%), and currently growing rapidly as a result of bitumen sands development.
Operative
BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Green Party of Canada will work for a rapid transition of the Canadian motor industry to non-dependence on fossil fuels. This should be achieved through a mixture of:
- a legislated phase-out over two to three decades of construction or import of vehicles with petroleum-fuelled engines;
- the development of a national plan for a network of electric vehicle recharge and battery exchange stations, financial incentives for production and sale in Canada of non-petroleum-based vehicles (electric, fuel cell), or in those circumstances where it can be guaranteed to be sustainable in terms of energy return on energy input, food production and biodiversity, powered by fuels of biological origin. This should include support both for conversion of existing plant and manufacturers and for new emergent manufacturers;
- government research funding for development of lower-cost and more energy-dense battery technology suitable for use in electric vehicles;
- active support for a research, development and design base in fuel cell technology; and a legislated phase-out over three to four decades of petroleum-based fuel provision, except for special-use vehicles.
Sponsors
Background
Recent talk of a "national energy policy" assumes continued dependence on fossil oil - and therefore continued high greenhouse gas emissions. While it will take decades to transition both vehicles and infrastructure away from fossil fuels, that shift is an essential element in a sustainable climate policy. Climate science [1] shows the need to urgently initate such a transition.
Canada's latest National Inventory Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, gives the following data for transport and oil/gas industry emissions in 2012 [2]. Unfortunately, mining is included with some of the latter, so a fully accurate assessment of the full contribution of the Canadian oil industry on national emissions is not possible):
- Transport 195.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- Fossil fuel production and refining 63.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide
equivalent
- Mining and oil/gas extraction 40.9 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- Fugitive sources from oil/gas 60.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent
- (During the same year, total emissions were calculated at 699 Mte CO2e)
The single most rapidly growing source of GHG emissions in Canada is the bitumen sands industry in northern Alberta [3]
Transitioning away rapidly from petroleum would additionally enable substantially greater energy independence for eastern Canada, without resorting to risky pipeline projects.
This transition is assumed complementary with:
- encouragement of low-carbon transport options (cycling, walking, etc),
- active development of both local and transcontinental public transit services
- encouragement of municipal planning philosophies which reduce travel requirements.
- a rapid phase-out first of coal and then of fossil gas in electricity generation.
1 Note especially the latest Working Group 3 Assessment Report: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014), Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change. (IPCC AR5 WG3) Available online at
http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/
2 Environment Canada (2014), National Inventory Report 1990-2010: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada - the Canadian Government's Submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, part 3, pp44-45
3 See, for example, Environment Canada (2013:Oct), Canada's Emissions Trends, pp21-33
Party Commentary
This motion is redundant with policies in vision green, however, no such specific policies formally exist in the membership approved policy. The motion adds specific proposals for phasing out of petroleum fuelled vehicles, research into electric vehicles and phasing out of fuel provision. The proposals for eventually eliminating petroleum fuelled vehicles and fuel provision (gas stations) may pose communication challenges.