For as long as the EFL has existed, its work has been creating productive and solutions-oriented conversations about energy and climate as well as expanding the dimensions of what we like to call the “radical middle.” But with political polarization on the rise, and the dialogue around the energy transition becoming more binary by the day, we thought it was time to expand our reach — and our ambitions. We’ve heard from many of our Fellows over the years that they wanted to se

In many ways, this has been the Year of Carbon at the EFL. We need to re-imagine carbon and re-imagine waste to make a substantial reduction in GHG emissions. We have been supporting carbon neutral and carbon positive initiatives as well as refreshing EFL’s portfolio of initiatives to solve interrelated climate, environmental and economic challenges. Reducing carbon emissions from oil and gas assets and leveraging Alberta’s legacy infrastructure are important areas for the La

Chad Park’s remarks from the EFL 2.0 launch reception on February 12, 2019 Over the last month something notable happened here in Alberta that not everyone may have heard about. On December 11th, the Canyon Creek Hydro Development Act received Royal Assent, enabling the Alberta Utilities Commission to issue its final approval for the Canyon Creek Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project near Hinton. Alberta can take the bull by the horns and adapt to these changes, get in front of

On Tuesday this week, I was interviewed by host Laura Lynch on CBC Radio One’s Vancouver morning show, the Early Edition, for a segment about Alberta. The experience of the interview has me thinking a lot about the challenges we need to overcome in Canada to address energy and climate issues together. The framing for the interview was the recent announcement by Premier Rachel Notley about Alberta temporarily curtailing oil production, set against the messages from this week’s

The increasing drive towards a low-carbon future is demanding that we look differently at the way we live, eat, commute, and transport goods. Easy, convenient, and relatively affordable mobility is embedded in our lifestyle, which makes changes at scale challenging. This has opened the space for ideas across a range of innovation priorities, including 1) implementing new technologies and supporting cleaner fuels; 2) providing low-carbon mobility options; and 3) applying regul

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a rapidly developing area of technological advancement over the last 10 years and more, yet it is only very recently that the buzz about its implications and potential for Alberta’s energy sector has really escalated. Why is that? How can artificial intelligence enable Alberta to thrive in a competitive, low-carbon world? Three possible reasons come to mind. First, there is now a far better collection and recording of historical energy da

Co-creation, experimentation, and social innovation have been the Energy Futures Lab’s (EFL) core foundational elements since its inception in 2015. Now it is time to build on the foundational work of EFL 1.0 and to work together to design EFL 2.0. Led by 59 Fellows from diverse backgrounds and industries in Alberta, we have outlined a vision for Alberta’s energy system, worked in areas of tension within the energy system, and developed a number of exemplar initiatives that

Amidst the drama of recent pipeline and trade war news, you may be forgiven if you missed another announcement that will be important in shaping Alberta’s economic future. On May 29th, Calgary-based E3 Metals announced that it had reached an important technical milestone that moves it one step closer to being able to extract lithium from oilfield brine. Alberta could become a key supplier of this globally-relevant material on the strength of its petroleum industry. Instead o

The world is poised for a massive transition in energy production and use. Making this transition will be critical to ensure the long-term sustainability of our environment, economies, and communities. It will be a monumental challenge, but a challenge replete with opportunity. Alberta is ready to lead and Albertan communities are on the front lines As a global leader in energy innovation Alberta is perfectly positioned to lead the transition with a vision of prosperity that

Alberta is poised for a big leap forward in energy innovation. This will be on display in early November at SPARK 2017 , a two-day conference in Edmonton co-hosted by Emissions Reductions Alberta (ERA) and Alberta Innovates (AI). Many EFL partners and Fellows will be taking part in the event. In preparation for SPARK 2017, Energy Futures Lab Director and Chief Innovation Officer of The Natural Step Canada, Chad Park sat down with Steve Macdonald, ERA’s Chief Executive Offic

It’s time for a demonstration. It will take place in the village of Valemount, BC. The project, the first of its kind in Canada, is called Sustainaville and will demonstrate that geothermal energy (heat from the earth) can be used to “grow a whole community”. “Warm geothermal water can support greenhouses but can also support initiatives like a brewery or shrimp farm. This fully renewable resource can serve several tiers of need in the community before being recycled to do i

Shell Canada’s Chris Fry has been a Fellow in the Energy Futures Lab since its inception. “I wanted to get involved because I felt it was important to include Indigenous voices in the Lab when talking about Alberta’s energy future,” says Chris. “I’ve gained a network and an understanding of just how complex the issues are in energy transition”. “Through the Lab I’ve learned backcasting and gained new skills in strategic planning and collaborating with people who have differe

Oil and gas versus renewables? That’s a false dichotomy, according to the Energy Futures Lab (EFL), an initiative that acknowledges the importance of Alberta’s significant natural advantage in fossil fuels and how it can be used as a stepping stone to a cleaner energy future. The Energy Futures Lab is designed to allow stakeholders to engage with one another about Canada’s energy future, to find some common ground, and to take action together. – Chad Park “The issues around e

On December 5, 2016, approximately 170 people braved the cold to talk about the future of energy in Alberta at the University of Calgary’s downtown campus. Dr. David Layzell, Energy Futures Lab (EFL) Steering Committee Member and Director of the Canadian Energy Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) project, argued that energy system transition is the “grand challenge for our society.” The EFL design team worked with Dr. David Layzell and his research group to help identify big ch

No one ever said the transition to a new energy economy would be easy. From the very beginning, The Natural Step Canada (TNSC) was under a great deal of pressure to describe the impacts and outcomes of the Energy Futures Lab (EFL). We resisted prescribing a solution. Our Fellowship – more diverse than we could have hoped – has created a shared vision and innovation pathways, generated new ideas, and brought existing initiatives into the lab to amplify and scale. Describing an

Navigating the interconnected web of issues surrounding energy, climate change and sustainable development is a complex task. Over the past year and a half, the Energy Futures Lab (EFL) has developed a platform for constructive dialogue and game-changing innovation. Through this process, we have identified five essential leadership capacities to succeed in this space. This November, join other leaders and innovators in the inaugural three-day EFL Leadership Bootcamp to hone t

Earlier this fall Alberta’s Economic Development and Trade Minister Deron Bilous appointed Gord Lambert to chair a Climate Technology Task Force, which will engage stakeholders and advise the government on a framework for climate change innovation and technology. In addition to supporting research and development and investing in new technology ventures, let’s also create opportunities for the scores of innovators and influencers in Alberta to interact with one another in unp

Building systems that are fit for the future means beginning with the end in mind and working together with unlikely allies. Our greatest challenges can only be addressed if we learn to do so. Chad Park lays out an approach that aligns diverse perspectives towards a shared understanding of what the future requires: backcasting from sustainability principles. He also introduces the groundbreaking initiative that is putting these ideas to the test: the Energy Futures Lab. Chad

You need to critically test for whether the pace and scale at which work is getting done is appropriate to the challenges that you’re trying to take on. Nowadays, it’s a key success factor: can you accelerate progress? On issues like climate change, we have to accelerate progress tremendously. – Gord Lambert Pong : You talk about the importance of setting up aspirational goals to help drive innovation. Do you feel that the EFL Vision and Innovation Pathways are aspirational e

The term “Brain Trust” was coined in the 1930s by a New York Times reporter to describe a group of advisors who provided advice to Franklin D. Roosevelt during his presidential campaign. Today, the term is used more broadly to describe a prized group of advisors who hold expertise in their particular fields. Under that definition it is easy to see that the Energy Futures Lab is indeed one of our province’s greatest brain trusts. The FSDS is the government’s plan and vision fo