Canada’s Greens call on federal government to abandon nuclear and invest in renewables

Greens call on federal government to abandon nuclear and invest in renewables, November 10, 2020, OTTAWA – Following the recent announcement that the federal government will invest $20 million dollars in Ontario-based Terrestrial Energy to develop its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR), Green Party MPs have written to Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan and Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains calling on them to reconsider investments in new and unproven nuclear technology.

Obviously Canada must rapidly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) as required by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),” said Green parliamentary leader Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich Gulf-Islands). “However, choosing to invest in non-commercialized, novel and unproven nuclear technology is fiscally irresponsible and doesn’t move us towards sustainability. It takes us down the wrong path. Small nuclear reactors (SMRs) have no place in any plan to mitigate climate change when cleaner and cheaper alternatives exist.”

A recent Canadian study found that energy from SMRs would cost up to 10 times more than renewable energy. Greens are urging the federal government to assess all energy investments on the same set of metrics based on three key questions:

For every dollar invested, how many tonnes of GHGs are avoided;
For every dollar invested, how many jobs are created;
What is the effective timeline from initial funding to achieving results?

“Using these metrics, nuclear will always finish at the bottom of any hierarchy of energy investments,” said Ms. May. “The winners, every time, will be investments in retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency and investments in renewable energy.”

The 2020 World Nuclear Industry Status Report states that the development of nuclear energy is too slow to address the climate crisis. Nuclear power creates fewer jobs than renewable energy, such as solar, wind, district energy, and geothermal.

“What we need is to be honest with ourselves about the realities of nuclear,” said Jenica Atwin, (MP, Fredericton). “This government continues to parrot industry talking points when what our history and experience with nuclear has shown is that it’s not clean, it’s not cheap and we don’t have the time to waste on this dangerous distraction.”

** Letter to Ministers attached rosie.emery@greenparty.ca

November 12, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News

No comments yet.

1 This month

PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government

No Nuclear Weapons in Australia

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556

19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia

Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)

End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)

20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent

National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action

Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,

Facilitator Kelley Tranter.

of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)

To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity

– go to https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com/

Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items