SHORT ON SPECIFICS
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne describes the new national energy strategy, agreed upon among the premiers last week in St. John’s as “monumental” and as containing “the language everybody could live with.” If a 35- page document laden with jargon, cliche and vagaries can be considered monumental, then, Houston, we have a problem. It turns out that “the language everybody could live with” is one devoid of meaning and specificity.
For example, it certainly is not a monumental achievement that the final version of the strategy dropped an earlier promise of uniformity across the provinces in regard to “absolute” cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The language everybody can live with appears to be “Let’s meander along, same as we’ve always done, each of us pretty much in our own orbits.” Frankly, the language used to hype the new energy strategy is far stronger than the language that actually makes up the strategy.
It’s tempting to cynically shrug off the strategy and its surrounding, self- promoting hype as just what politicians do and say, except for the fact that the result is nothing short of frustrating and ambiguous. Canadians are keen to see progress in battling climate change placed on equal footing with the acknowledgment that the energy industry is crucial to Canada’s prosperity. With the new strategy, they’ve heard the words, but the deeper meanings escape interpretation. Yes, Canadians want a “lower carbon economy.” But what does that look like exactly? And just what steps will go into building such an economy?
The answers can’t be found in the remainder of the strategy, which contains wording pretty much guaranteed to land the report on a shelf somewhere with the first motes of dust settling on it shortly thereafter. Take the use of that milquetoast word “review” which is classic doublespeak for looking at something without taking further action on it: “Review different approaches regarding greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements.” OK, and then what? Or this: “Build awareness of the diversity of Canada’s energy portfolio.” Build awareness among whom? And to what end? Who will determine when awareness has finally risen to a crescendo and we can proceed to the next step — which is what, by the way? Yes, Premier Brad Wall, oil is not a “four- letter word.” Albertans have always known that. But now what?
Where to from here? It feels like some progress has been made. At least, the premiers could all agree on the specific vagaries — if that’s not an oxymoron — of the strategy. But unfortunately, Canadians are going to have to wait longer for something more substantial to surface.