CRED-NB joined with more than 100 groups across Canada to sign a letter to the Prime Minister asking to ensure that the Build Canada Homes initiative includes sustainability guidelines. The letter we signed asked that these new homes use the most modern technologies for heating and cooling air and water. Rather than building these homes with antiquated oil or gas heating, residents of Canada would greatly benefit from homes that come equipped with high efficiency electric heat pumps or other low-carbon alternatives like high-efficiency direct electric or geothermal district heating. Read the letter HERE.
Tag: National Conversation
New petition: Build a Canadian east-west electricity grid powered by renewables
The David Suzuki Foundation is hosting a petition, ready to sign, asking the federal government to build an east-west electricity grid powered by renewables. We’re asking all CRED-NB Champions to please consider signing the petition, HERE.
A massive build out of renewable energy, connected regionally and nationally, is the best way out of the energy bind we are in with our reliance on fossil fuels. A policy of building only renewable energy and storage systems will boost our fight against plans in New Brunswick for a new fossil gas plant north of Sackville.
This new national petition follows on from a letter on the same theme sent to PM Carney in July, signed by 105 groups across Canada, including CRED-NB and allies in New Brunswick. That letter was also organized by the David Suzuki Foundation as part of their ongoing campaign to encourage our governments to build only renewable energy systems.
Stop Canada’s $24 Billion Nuclear Privatization Deal!
A Parliamentary petition, now open for signatures, was developed by Ole Hendrickson, a CRED-NB ally in Ontario concerned about the link between civilian nuclear power and the nuclear weapons industry. We share his concern. Key info from the petition:
- Canada is poised to award a multi-billion dollar contract — the largest federal contract ever — to a consortium of U.S. companies;
- If this happens, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, a former Atomic Energy of Canada Limited subsidiary, will be owned by American firms calling themselves “Nuclear Laboratories Partners of Canada.”;
- The new contract would last up to 20 years, cost taxpayers over 24 billion dollars, and allow private commercial work at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited sites across Canada;
- Hundreds of millions of dollars in contract management fees would be paid annually to firms that operate U.S. nuclear weapons facilities;
- Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ current projects include a $1+ billion facility to enable plutonium research, and a tritium extraction facility; plutonium and tritium are key explosive ingredients in nuclear weapons;
Read the rest of the petition and sign it HERE.
If you’ve never signed a parliamentary petition before, your name will not be displayed but after signing, you’ll get an email that you click to confirm your email address. You can also choose to get updates on the petition.
Open letter: 105 groups call on PM Mark Carney to build Canada’s east-west electricity grid with renewable energy
105 environment, labour, Indigenous and community groups, including CRED-NB, released a letter today, July 3, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government to prioritize building out Canada’s east-west electricity grid with renewable energy, while upholding workers’ and Indigenous rights.
The following is a summary of the priorities listed in the letter. The full letter can be found HERE.
- Commit significant federal funding toward permitting, planning and construction of strategic interprovincial and intra-provincial electricity transmission projects.
- The Green Budget Coalition, Green Economy Network and Climate Action Network Canada each identify a funding commitment of at least $20 billion over five years while the Canada Electricity Advisory Council recommends significant investment and reducing barriers for these transmission projects.
- Uphold legal and inherent Indigenous rights for Indigenous communities throughout Canada.
- Implement key labour supports as a condition for federal funding on electricity projects.
- Alongside the work on transmission and generation, the federal government should strengthen its financial support for energy efficiency, demand-side management, energy storage and other electricity system upgrades.
- With these priorities in mind, the federal government should update and implement Canada’s Electricity Strategy. This includes implementing the Clean Electricity Regulations, and continuing to advance Canada’s work to achieve a net-zero electricity grid.
See the press release HERE.
Climate groups react: Bill C-5 becomes law, setting a dangerous precedent
CRED-NB is a member of the Climate Action Network Canada that condemns Parliament’s reckless passage of Bill C-5’s controversial Building Canada Act. The Act erodes democratic principles, runs roughshod over Indigenous rights, shuts Canadians out of decisions that could affect them, and puts the environment at risk.
Bill C-5 sets a dangerous precedent. It gives sweeping and potentially unconstitutional powers to the federal Cabinet to bypass environmental laws and legal safeguards. The Bill allows decisions to be made about “national interest” projects with little public participation, without robust environmental impact assessments, and without the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.
Read the full media release HERE.
As the G7 Leaders’ Summit concludes, Canada fails a test of climate leadership
CRED-NB is a member of Climate Action Network Canada that issued a statement condemning the glaring absence of climate change, and climate solutions, from any of the G7 statements released today.
“The leaders of the world’s richest and most powerful countries published a statement on fighting wildfires that completely ignores climate change—the root cause that’s making wildfires so much more deadly and extreme,” said Caroline Brouillette, Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada.
“What’s the point of a coalition of like-minded countries if it isn’t even capable of mentioning the existential crisis facing humanity? Instead of showing leadership, Canada’s G7 Presidency catered to the lowest common denominator—for the sake of appeasing a President who couldn’t even be bothered to stick around to the end of the summit.
“Canada was smart to invite other leaders from Global South countries, but it is past time to imagine coalitions that maintain multilateralism without exposing ourselves to the whims of climate deniers like President Trump.
“The G7 Leaders’ Summit was a test of Canada’s climate leadership, and Prime Minister Carney failed.”
Tariff threats spur need for “east-west” electricity integration
Canada must focus on increasing our energy security.
Unfortunately Ontario is increasing reliance on the U.S. by building four U.S. GE-Hitachi nuclear reactors which require U.S. enriched uranium fuel.
This is not the time to increase our economic and energy dependency on the U.S. Sharing renewable electricity interprovincially can cut that dependency.
As Prime Minister Carney has suggested, Canada can be an energy superpower, but only if we follow the world by focusing on low-cost, reliable renewable energy.
We do not need a power corridor from coast to coast. We need more east-west interconnection of regional and distributed transmission systems. This would allow the growth and sharing of new community-based, low-cost renewable energy, creating local green jobs while meeting Canadian needs.
CRED-NB is a member of the coalition of groups that publish the SMRs Information Task Force Bulletin. This information is from the June 2025 bulletin. Read the full edition HERE.
131 Civil society groups send open letter to PM Carney supporting renewable energy and opposing new nuclear
In a open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, 131 civil society groups expressed support for renewable energy and opposition to federal investment in new nuclear reactors. Fourteen groups from NB including CRED-NB were among those signing the open letter which was sent on May 21, 2025.
To see the letter click here.
En français, clique ici.
The nuclear divide: Why are women cautious of nuclear energy?
Commentary by Emma Fackenthall in the NB Media Co-op
As many countries scramble toward a net-zero future, some are betting on nuclear energy to reach their goal. However, a quiet but profound gender divide is growing around nuclear energy.
While nuclear power is often hailed as a critical tool in the climate fight, a growing body of research suggests that fewer women than men support nuclear power. This divide can be explained by safety concerns, ecofeminist ethics of care, and the nuclear industry’s macho culture.
The striking gender divide is another reason to question the viability of nuclear energy to attain climate justice and energy democracy.
For the whole article, click here.
Climate Action Network Canada: Letter to PM Carney and Election Priorities
CRED-NB is a signatory to the Climate Action Network Canada (CAN-Rac) letter to Prime Minister Carney sent the day after the federal election. The letter congratulates Prime Minister Mark Carney and urges him to use this opportunity to build a fairer, more resilient society grounded in reliable, renewable Canadian solutions.
Prime Minister Carney has long been involved in climate initiatives; now, he has the chance to enact change at a national scale to make Canadians’ lives safer, healthier, and more affordable.
Read the full letter HERE.
Before the election, CAN-Rac released Made-in-Canada Climate Solutions: 2025 Election Priorities, setting out its calls to action for federal parties this campaign. See more details here.