VICTORIA — Mark Zacharias, executive director at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the swearing in of Canada’s new prime minister:
“We welcome new Prime Minister Mark Carney and look forward to working with him as he leads our country through a new era of U.S. and international relations.
“We encourage the prime minister to look beyond the actions of our neighbour to the broader macroeconomic changes happening around the world. While America slides backward, the energy transition is continuing at pace, from soaring EV adoption in China to massive clean energy investments in Europe.
“Prime Minister Carney has indicated he is serious about building a prosperous clean economic future, and we applaud his commitment to retaining some of Canada’s most fundamental climate policies, from industrial carbon pricing to regulations on oil and gas emissions.
“We’re also very pleased to see the new prime minister signal his intention to support households through the energy transition, including by recapitalizing the Greener Homes Grant and reintroducing EV rebates. We know that electric vehicles, heat pumps and home retrofits are vital to helping Canadians significantly cut their energy bills and their carbon footprint.
“Finally, we thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his decade of climate leadership. In these years, Canada has made more progress on fighting climate change than at any moment in history.
“Now, as we enter a particularly tumultuous time, we hope the new prime minister will stand up for Canada and guide the country down a better path to prosperity alongside our clean-energy-focused trade partners in Europe and Asia.”