When the Reimagine Regina conference takes place in May, EnviroCollective in Regina would like to be a part of the conversation.
The organization says there needs to be a Regina-based focus on environmental sustainability and that the city needs to heavily pursue a plan to become 100% renewable by the year 2050.
Member of EnviroCollective Laura Stewart said they want to hear from the oil and gas industry about the struggles they would face in a renewable energy world.
“We can’t effectively address those concerns unless we understand them,” Stewart said. “There are a lot of people working on what a just transition might look like, but we need to hear from people who are right in there right now facing these issues, and have them tell us what the challenges are so we can figure out what will work.”
The organization also welcomed the news that the city cancelled Patrick Moore’s keynote address at the Reimagine Regina conference, saying his address would reverse the conversation on sustainability as opposed to moving it forward.
Stewart says Moore’s removal from the conference has nothing to do with free speech, as Moore was not coming to Regina for free.
“He was not coming as a Regina citizen wanting to raise opinions from this community, he was selected to come and speak at this community about one particular perspective,” Stewart said. “People within this community are absolutely free to raise their concerns, and we welcome that.”
Stewart said there are a number of concerns about the event as is.
“I know there are concerns about the cost for individuals from the city to get involved with this conference, there are concerns about whether it’s really representative,” Stewart said. “There’s concerns about diversity on the speaker’s agenda, and there are concerns about just the focus.”
EnviroCollective has even created their own proposal to support the Regina Environmental Sustainability Framework, something they hope the city considers.
