Our newsletter: 30 March 2023
Woodfibre LNG to beat net-zero targets
Woodfibre LNG pledges its plant will be net zero in 2027, 23 years ahead of the federal target of 2050, and three years ahead of BC’s net-zero requirement for new LNG plants.
Woodfibre’s net-zero plan includes electrification, new technology, and then forestry carbon offsets for the hard-to-abate emissions that are still left over.
“Woodfibre will be facility net zero from the first day of operations,” said CEO Christine Kennedy.
Woodfibre has been working with climate consulting firm Brightspot Climate to validate its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct and indirect) “to develop a credible and defensible net zero plan.” The plan does not include Scope 3 emissions, such as upstream emissions from natural-gas extraction.
The forest carbon offsets to be used come from the Cheakamus Community Forest (in which the Lil’wat and Squamish First Nations are partners) and the BigCoast Forest Climate Initiative on Mosaic Forest’s lands. (In this, the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) Innovation Program is a partner.)
- Business in Vancouver story: http://ow.ly/yz5M50NrgWg
Cedar LNG and First Nations
The Cedar LNG project in BC, led by the Haisla Nation, says it has the strong support of neighbouring Nations.
“Years of collaboration and constructive engagement with these Nations have helped to ensure the project will be designed, constructed, and operated responsibly, while providing benefits through construction jobs and contracting, training opportunities, long-term employment, and other measures that will contribute to economic prosperity in the region.”
The federal government, giving the project a green light to move into the next stages of approvals, sees as “low” the project’s impact on “physical and cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples, current use of lands and resources for traditional purposes by Indigenous peoples, and any change occurring in Canada to the health, social or economic conditions of the Indigenous peoples of Canada.”
And Ottawa also sees “positive effects by supporting self-governance and self-determination for Haisla Nation as the majority owner of Cedar LNG, advancing reconciliation with this Indigenous group.”
But some of Ottawa’s more than 250 requirements and conditions address Indigenous issues and potential impact on First Nations Peoples.
- Read more: http://ow.ly/K2T950NrFpM
- Meanwhile, the Nisga’a Nation’s Ksi Lisims LNG project is getting set for the next step in the environmental-assessment process: http://ow.ly/H6kR50NpyJS
- The Ksi Lisims LNG project looks for upgrade of BC Hydro grid so the plant can be electrified and reduce emissions: http://ow.ly/YbEk50NmvHH
- Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer says the Ksi Lisims project faces major hurdles: http://ow.ly/GpAT50NoozX
- And Vaughn Palmer says BC’s premier needs to ‘light a fire under both B.C. Hydro and the B.C. Utilities Commission’ to ensure LNG projects can get power: http://ow.ly/lEaM50Nrjpz
- BC looks to electricity to power new plants (such as Cedar LNG and Phase 2 of LNG Canada) But how will BC feed the demand? ‘Meeting it will not be easy.’ http://ow.ly/4KIO50Npofh
Indigenous clean-energy news
- Indigenous communities are leading Canada’s clean-energy boom: http://ow.ly/gXHb50NrhlU
- Canada’s largest Indigenous solar project goes online, for Athabasca Chipewyan Nation in Alberta: http://ow.ly/lRFB50NrkCE
- Solar power to be used for Malahat Nation’s administration buildings on Vancouver Island: http://ow.ly/3v3G50Nrhyx
- Clean Energy BC hopes for renewable-power projects from First Nations: http://ow.ly/2RG950Nripq
- Kitselas First Nation airs geothermal proposal near Terrace BC: http://ow.ly/2UAa50NriIV
- The proposed Bear Head LNG project in Nova Scotia is officially switching to hydrogen production instead: http://ow.ly/1u2b50Ns6Rx
- Qualipu Nation in Newfoundland signs MOU re: wind-energy plant: http://ow.ly/pYvY50NrhV4
- Indigenous Clean Energy names James Jenkins as executive director: http://ow.ly/Uk5050NrjKQ
- Generation Power wage subsidy available for Indigenous youth entering clean-energy sector: http://ow.ly/kyko50Nrl1o
- Small nuclear reactors could empower First Nations with energy security: http://ow.ly/VSUL50NriRm
ALSO IN THE NEWS
- Equity partnerships represent a turning point for Indigenous communities: http://ow.ly/P5EI50NpyFL
- Reliable, cleaner and cheaper: Canada’s LNG opportunity in the Asia-Pacific market: http://ow.ly/qkGy50NpuTT
- Chris Sankey: Indigenous communities are key to solving the global energy crisis: http://ow.ly/uuLC50NsLXv
- How the Haisla Nation is getting three fully electric harbour tugs and two LNG-powered escort tugs: http://ow.ly/MZOS50NotJP
- LNG is a hat trick for Canada.— CEO Mike Rose of Tourmaline Oil: http://ow.ly/sYAa50NmWoR
- Repsol scraps idea of expanding Saint John NB terminal to export #LNG to Europe, says costs are too high: http://ow.ly/9ATO50Nl92w
DATES
First, a new event to note: From Nation2Nation, the N2N Women’s Gathering coming up in May at Smithers BC:
And Nation2Nation’s N2N Forum in October will return to being a three-day event:
OTHER DATES
April
- The Canadian Gas Association’s Energy Nexus and annual technical conference, April 17-20, Calgary. Info/register: http://ow.ly/YJrI50NhrM1
- From the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, the Values Driven Economy Conference, April 24-25, Vancouver. http://ow.ly/rWEE50MnKe6
May
- Canada Gas and LNG Exhibition and Conference, May 9-11, Vancouver: http://ow.ly/YxcZ50LjFM1
- The Forward Summit 2023, May 17-18, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino near Calgary. Registration: http://ow.ly/Q8ZV50K7FYb (Note that there’s an Indigenous discount.)
June
- The Indigenous Partnerships Success Showcase 2023: June 1-2, Vancouver: http://ly/IZC850LH58j
- The Global Energy Show, June 13-15, Calgary: http://ow.ly/UvTL50LjFlM
July
- The LNG 2023 Conference, July 10-13, Vancouver Convention Centre. Info/register: http://ow.ly/VVUl50MjbwU
- The sixth annual national Indigenous Clean Energy Forum, July 28, Vancouver. Info/register: http://ow.ly/CvbA50NteNK
September
- Carbon Capture Canada, Sept. 12-14, Edmonton: http://ow.ly/3iBP50LRo0R
October
- Nation2Nation’s 7th annual forum in Terrace BC, October 17-19: https://nation2nation.ca
2024
- The International Gas Research Conference, May 13-16. Our Karen Ogen is on the national organizing committee. Conference website: https://igrc2024.org/
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