U of C, Clean Energy Canada applaud federal budget commitments
Posted Mar 23, 2016 6:30 am.
Last Updated Mar 23, 2016 6:32 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Clean Energy Canada is pleased Ottawa is talking about the money making potential behind climate action.
Senior Policy Advisor Clare Demerse says the Liberals are sticking with their promise to invest in clean energy and technology and green infrastructure. But she notes there’s still a long way to go.
“This year’s budget was always going to be a down payment on clean energy because they’ve actually just started a process with premiers and the Prime Minister to come up with a national climate plan and that’s supposed to wrap up over the fall and go into action next year and that’s going to need a really significant federal investment,” she says.
Demerse says what’s missing, is the Liberals plan to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels.
The University of Calgary says budget funding for new infrastructure will keep it from having to squeeze students into classrooms.
President Elizabeth Cannon called it a great fiscal plan for universities coast-to-coast.
She points to the $95 million a year for research granting councils and $2 billion committed to infrastructure projects and upgrades.
“That’s pretty significant, it has to be matched by the provinces but that’s going to help move our institutions forward and specifically for the University of Calgary as our biggest barrier to increase access, increase the number of students on campus is infrastructure, so that was very welcomed.”
The $2 billion will be delivered to Canadian post secondary schools over three years.
