OTTAWA—Oceans North is pleased to announce a research partnership with the University of Ottawa’s Smart Prosperity Institute (SPI) to help advance marine decarbonization in Canada.

The project, “Navigating Canada’s Maritime Decarbonization Transition: Value-Chain Implications to Guide Policymaking for Fuel Switching,” recently received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant.

“Ports and the marine sector are central to Canada’s goal of growing the economy and diversifying our trade networks,” says Amy Nugent, Oceans North’s Associate Director of Marine Climate Action. “But if we want to stay globally competitive, we need to focus on energy demand and technologies for the next hundred years, not the last hundred.”

The International Maritime Organization, which governs international shipping, has recently introduced new mandatory rules on reducing emissions worldwide. Meanwhile, trading partners like the European Union and China are moving forward on efforts to decarbonize their marine sectors, from zero-emission vessels to electrifying ports. Based on our existing economic and energy strength—like a low-carbon electricity grid—Canada can take advantage of this economic opportunity and position itself as a leading jurisdiction, but it needs to move quickly on the regulations and policies needed to enable that progress.

Building on previous research commissioned by Oceans North into green shipping corridors, the goal of this project is to help inform both the development of Canada’s projects of national interest, including ports, and the development of climate policy, including forthcoming climate policies and clean growth incentives. SPI and Oceans North will engage stakeholders across the country’s marine sector to outline the elements needed for credible marine climate action and to enhance our competitiveness while highlighting areas of existing strategic strength, including electrification, technological innovation, and the development of net-zero ships and fuels.

“To achieve the changes we want and need, we first need to collaborate and understand the broader systems at play,” says Dr. Geoff McCarney, Executive Director of SPI. “We look forward to bringing our research capacity and policy experience to bear on this exciting challenge, which will help Canada’s marine sector navigate its way towards a sustainable and prosperous future.”

For more information, please contact:

Alex Tesar
Communications Director
Oceans North
[email protected]