The Yukon is being ranked sixth out of 11 in a recent energy efficiency scorecard that ranks the northern territory against the provinces for the first time.
While the Yukon’s overall score puts it in the middle of the pack, behind Premier Doug Ford’s Ontario, the territory scored zero points for energy efficiency in industry, according to scores determined by Efficiency Canada, which is housed at Carleton University’s Sustainable Energy Research Centre.
John Streicker, the Yukon’s minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, tabled the report in the Yukon Legislative Assembly on Nov. 17, the day it was published, and addressed it in a ministerial statement.
“Overall, the Yukon came sixth for jurisdictions in Canada, which is a strong start for us as a territory,” Streicker said.
“As Yukon’s population and economic growth continue to lead the country, we will continue to build a sustainable, efficient and renewable future for Yukoners.”
Both Scott Kent, the Yukon Party MLA for Copperbelt South, and NDP Leader Kate White were less celebratory about the territory’s score for industry.
“The report also highlights that we are the only jurisdiction to score a zero for reducing emissions in industrial settings like mining, forestry and construction,” White said in response to the minister’s statement.
“While there are some good policies in place to help Yukoners reduce their energy usage, we have a long way to go. I look to the minister to provide leadership and direction in helping us to continue to climb the ranks of this report.”
The report notes the Yukon’s climate change mitigation strategy, Our Clean Future, increased its greenhouse gas reduction target from 30 per cent to 45 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030.
The Yukon spent the most money per capita on energy efficiency programs and supporting activities in 2021, according to the report.
In the report, the Yukon’s strengths were identified as energy efficiency program savings and spending, Indigenous energy efficiency and net-zero building codes.
“The Yukon and British Columbia are the only two places that have clearly committed to requiring all new buildings to achieve net-zero energy performance in the future,” reads a summary for the territory.
“The Yukon is also innovating through deep retrofit pilot projects and monitoring the efficiency of heat pumps in cold climates.”
The territory’s weakness is that there are no third-party audits for program savings to ensure accuracy and transparency, which the report notes made it difficult to properly benchmark Yukon energy savings against the provinces.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com