To the Editor,
Like you said in last week’s editorial, when the next-door neighbour is causing trouble in the neighbourhood, we associate more with other neighbours, especially neighbours that meet our needs and share our values and aspirations.
Canada and Europe face common challenges, including climate change. We have complementary economic strengths. Canada has critical minerals, clean electricity, clean steel and opportunities for wind-hydrogen projects in Newfoundland. Europe brings major markets, advanced manufacturing, research capacity and extensive experience with carbon pricing, climate regulation, sustainable finance and accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy.
Recent analyses from the Pembina Institute and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis find the proposed West Coast oil pipeline unlikely to be needed at a time of weakening global oil demand, and a risky gamble for taxpayers. They raise similar concerns about Canadian LNG expansion. Taxpayers should not shoulder these risks.
Instead, we should build a future that burns less oil and gas. Closer ties with Europe can help us diversify our markets, strengthen our climate policies and direct capital toward the technologies and infrastructure that will define the next economy.
Lynn Ovenden
Casselman
