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Natural Resources Canada announced that the country has officially become a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Canada joins 159 other countries in an intergovernmental organization devoted to providing clean, sustainable energy for the world’s growing population.
“The growing green economy is among the greatest economic opportunities for Canada in a generation,” said Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. “Becoming an IRENA member will accelerate Canada’s efforts to build a clean energy future that will bring new economic growth and thousands of new, well-paying jobs”
IRENA supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, providing a platform for international cooperation, a center of excellence and a repository of policy, technology and resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.
“We are delighted to welcome Canada as a new member of the IRENA family. Canada has vast renewable energy resource potential and long-standing experience in low-carbon development that it can share through international cooperation,” added Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency. “We look forward to working with the Canadian government as well as the private sector and research institutions to advance energy transformation.”
As a member of IRENA, Canada will continue to actively promote its expertise in the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, increase the presence and visibility of its cleantech sector internationally and demonstrate its leadership in renewable energy.
Through this important international forum, Canada will also shape the ongoing global dialogue on renewable energy and climate change, including issues such as energy access and gender equality.
It’s the greatest hypocrisy to admit Canada to this group when the government is brutally forcing Tar Sands oil and fracked gas pipelines through unceded indigenous lands. Tar Sands oil is the dirtiest oil on the planet being mined from the most polluting project on the planet and fracked gas is a major disrupter of the natural systems in the region as well as polluting vast amounts of water. Canada should be held up as an example of how to destroy our environment, not accepted into a climate saving organization.