This center’s mission is to develop new technologies that will remove carbon from the economy and help British Columbia achieve its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Initially, the center will be tasked with creating technologies related to batteries, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen production and distribution, as well as biofuel production and renewable natural gas.
Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, and we are already witnessing the devastating consequences of it. We need to get our hands dirty to end our dependence on fossil fuels and switch to low-carbon energy sources.
Carla Caltrow, Federal Minister for Employment, believes that this shift towards cleaner energies is an essential component of the global fight against global warming. According to her, this shift will also promote a stronger Canadian economy by creating new jobs.
Louis Baumer, Director General of the Trottier Energy Institute at Polytechnique Montreal, sees it as more than just From a public relations account from a real strategic account
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He welcomes investment, but thinks $105 million isn’t a big help. He also worries that the investment will go into technologies that quickly become obsolete.
If we make these investments without having a long-term vision or plan, they may become unnecessary investments.
The center is scheduled to open this fall on the University of British Columbia campus (UBC) or Simon Fraser University.