Opinion: University of Alberta plays key role in helping Canada meet its climate commitments

tomtidgewellNovember 24, 2022

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri (left) leads the closing session of the COP27 climate conference at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Center in Egypt’s Red Sea resort city of the same name on November 20, 2022. (Photo courtesy JOSEPH EID) / AFP) Photo by Joseph Ead /AFP via Getty Images

It was my honor to attend COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt last week. With her Vice Chancellor (Research and Innovation) Aminah Robinson Fayek, we represented both the University of Alberta and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), in which the U of A has been an active participant since 2008 .

Proud of U of A’s track record as a leading Canadian university in advancing research on the energy transition, new energy solutions, and climate change, Amina and I had the opportunity to meet with a range of key decision makers from across Canada and beyond. I was. Explore research links with universities around the world.

As members of Team Alberta, a broad arm of Alberta’s government, academic institutions, NGOs and industry partners, we represent the province’s Environment and Protected Areas Minister Sonya Savage and her staff, as well as emissions reductions Alberta, Alberta and I met. Share and innovate with a message of Alberta’s commitment to advancing energy solutions for the world and addressing climate change. We also met Catherine Stewart, Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change and Stephen Guilbeau, Canada’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, who shared the same message and solutions that will enable Canada to meet its climate ambitions. emphasized the important role of university research in finding Change your commitment.

In our conversation, we shared some of the leading U of A research programs related to energy solutions and climate change. Launched in 2016, the Future Energy Systems (FES) program has $75 million in support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) to help Canada transition to a low-carbon energy economy. FES works in all energy areas, from sustainable development of fossil fuels, to carbon capture and storage, research into renewable energy such as biomass, geothermal, wind, solar, grid and storage. Using an interdisciplinary approach, FES tackles technical issues related to energy. Examine our social, economic and environmental impacts. Address mitigation and rehabilitation measures.

Understanding climate change and driving energy solutions requires a broad, multidisciplinary approach. These approaches include technology and innovation, but they also need to address policy, social impact and social innovation solutions. And he’s doing just that with the Ărramăt project, with a $24 million grant in 2022 from the federal New Frontiers in Research Fund.

The project involves over 150 Indigenous organizations and governments from around the world, and researchers from 19 Canadian universities, 2 Canadian universities and 14 international universities. They will conduct 140 Indigenous people-led, place-based research projects to examine the relationship between biodiversity loss and declining health of Indigenous peoples. Working in more than 24 countries and speaking more than 30 languages, our diverse team is working towards practical solutions in 10 areas, including strengthening indigenous food systems and rebuilding healthy relationships with wild species. Create a policy roadmap.

Based on this record, the U of A has submitted the most ambitious research proposal it has ever undertaken. With its strong foundation in energy and climate research, U of A is leading the application to the Canada First Research Excellence Fund for a research program titled Energy System Transition, Resilience, and Climate Change (ESTRCC). ESTRCC is an unprecedented, interdisciplinary, Canadian-wide initiative involving 12 Canadian higher education institutions, international partners, industry and government.

Bringing together leading experts from a variety of disciplines to address the practical challenges of supporting resilient energy transitions, climate change and energy system resilience in the northern cold-climate impacted climate. We provide the research results to solve. ESTRCC contributes solutions to help minority and vulnerable communities in rural and remote areas of Canada and supports the goal of reconciliation with indigenous communities.

Outcomes of the proposed program will lead to the development and testing of new technologies to reach the net-zero goal. Environmental, social and policy innovation. commercialization of technology; training of highly qualified personnel; At COP27, Aminah and I had the opportunity to share the details of this proposal with several key decision makers. This is intended to build both state and federal support.

There was one message at the center of all these conversations. Alberta and the University of Alberta are at the forefront of developing solutions that enable Canada to advance energy solutions for the world and meet Canada’s climate change commitments.

We also participated in a panel discussion on Universities as Key Solution Providers. Leveraging local and global networks for innovation. My fellow panelists included representatives from Northwestern University, Edinburgh University, Cote d’Azur University, and University of Toronto. We had a broad and passionate discussion about how universities can work together to address the many challenges posed by climate change and help find sustainable solutions for our planet. , U7+, UC3, WUN, and other university networks represented by the panel were discussed. With nearly half of its 24 university members coming from the Global South, WUN is particularly well suited to address the diverse impacts of climate change around the world.

COP27 was a massive and overwhelming event with over 45,000 participants from nearly 200 countries around the world. Details have yet to be announced, but progress has been made on at least one major initiative. Developed countries have agreed to establish a loss and damage fund to assist vulnerable countries affected by climate change-related disasters.

But COP27 was more than a final protocol. It was an opportunity to bring together the widest range of government, NGO, industry and academic partners from around the world to share innovations and ideas. A sustainable future for the planet.

Bill Flanagan is President and Vice President of the University of Alberta.