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Building innovative technologies for the clean growth century

Taking action

The Government of Canada will work with the provinces and territories to:

• Support research and technology development in areas with the potential for substantial emission reductions.
• Help companies commercialize their products and grow by building skills and leadership, supporting technologies that improve both competitiveness and environmental performance, and helping access international markets.
• Lead by example by purchasing clean technologies for government operations.
• Support Indigenous Peoples and northern and remote communities to adopt and adapt clean technologies to their needs.
• Collaborate with provinces and territories to align investments and establish a clean technology data strategy.

The world is starting to shift to cleaner ways of doing things – running industries with less energy, generating more wind and solar power, cutting down on waste. There is still a long way to go, but this shift is driving innovation and creating opportunity for a clean growth century.

Consider clean energy. In 2015, more than a quarter of a trillion dollars was invested globally in renewable power capacity – more than double the amount invested in new coal and gas generation. That kind of investment is driving Canadian companies to think up new ways of making energy production cleaner, such as extracting carbon dioxide from the air.

By investing today in tomorrow’s new clean technologies, Canada can stay competitive, and in the process, create good jobs across the country.

We have an opportunity to be a leader in developing clean technologies. The global clean-tech market was approximately $5.8 trillion in 2012, and growing by more than 3 percent each year. Countries that innovate will have a competitive advantage.

The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories through the Pan-Canadian Framework to support clean growth and innovation.

From research and development, to demonstration of new technologies, to the adoption of clean technologies, governments will work together to support Canadians in the transition to a low-carbon economy. To be a leader in clean technology development will require early-stage technology development, establishing international partnerships, and encouraging “mission-oriented” initiatives to help generate innovative new ideas and create economic opportunities.

Canadian clean technology businesses will be supported with access to capital to bring their products and services to market. In partnership with provinces and territories, our natural resource industries will be key players in the clean growth economy, developing and adopting clean technologies that improve competitiveness and environmental performance. A “no-wrong door” approach will help ensure these firms have full and effective access to the suite of government programs and services available to support their commercial success.

We will also support the adoption of clean technologies across Canada in several ways, including through federal government procurement and by working with northern, remote, and Indigenous communities.

These investments will signal to investors that Canada is serious about leading during the clean growth century. We are already home to thousands of companies providing clean technology products and services. Our companies are led by innovative entrepreneurs developing technologies such as next-generation biofuels, advanced batteries for electric vehicles, lightweight materials, new technologies for the mining sector, and cleaner oil sands extraction processes, among many others. By supporting these leaders we will create jobs and increase exports of our clean technologies to the global market.