With the federal election in full swing, climate change once again takes center stage across party lines. The difference now is all parties agree that climate change is a credible threat that must be combatted sooner rather than later. A recent Ipsos poll shows climate change is on the minds of Canadians heading into this year’s election with 25% of Canadians focused on climate change, third only to healthcare (35%) and cost of living (27%)^[1].

The parties are no longer pointing a finger at an opponent who they have to convince or who is denying the obvious and glaring statistics around climate change; it is now about debating the merits of each party’s climate change plan. For the Liberal government, the policy around climate change is going to be the subject of a real debate and will need to withstand scrutiny on all sides. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole has said that the CPC party acknowledged that climate change was real but rejected a resolution that was ‘hard to understand’. It’s clear from this banter that each party will have to have a clear and concise plan that is actionable and feasible.

With O’Toole’s Conservatives having accepted climate change as a real and imminent threat and no longer able to be ignored, both parties will have to seriously debate – and convince voters – that their energy policy is the right one for Canada. With all the spotlight on the policy debate, this allows renewable energy companies to direct attention on their own sub sectors.  Those companies with a compelling story will be poised for greatness.

While the parties are focused on voters and on the best approach to the climate change issue, the renewables sector must urgently consider the impact of this shift.

Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source globally and in North America. And that means jobs. 639,200, in fact, in Canada’s clean energy sector by 2030; that’s a 43% increase while fossil fuels are on track to drop 9% with only 125,800 jobs.

It’s clear that clean energy is the place to be and for the nearly 1,000 companies in Canada that call this sector home, this is excellent news. But with new companies entering into the sector every day and companies reinventing themselves as ‘the new green’, competition is fierce. Cutting through the herd and the noise can be a challenge. One of the most efficient ways of being heard and creating impact is by telling your company’s story. Every company has key stakeholders to manage, whether it is regulatory bodies, policy makers, suppliers and consumers. Your story is what sets you apart from everyone else and being able to articulate your secret sauce and how you are changing the world is key.

If you would like to have a conversation around what that may look like, get in touch and let’s see what we can do. Rise Up Strategies is a boutique firm and we like to shake things up. We like to put our clients’ needs and interests out there for the world to see.

^[1] https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/news-polls/Healthcare-Cost-of-Living-Climate-Change-Top-Voter-Issues