© Conservation Council of New Brunswick 2025
In this edition of EcoNews, we’re kicking off 2025 with updates on the federal clean electricity regulations, our efforts to address energy poverty and why electric school buses remain essential to local climate efforts despite recent setbacks with a major supplier. Meet our newest team members, celebrate the success of our 2024 fundraising efforts and explore upcoming events like a panel on energy affordability and the thought-provoking play Dimanche!
A step toward cleaner electricity in Canada
The federal government’s new Clean Electricity Regulations set Canada on course for a carbon-neutral power grid by 2035, cutting at least 180 million tonnes of emissions. While some key gaps remain, including excluding biomass facilities from the regulations and exemptions for new power plants built before 2025, New Brunswick has a fantastic opportunity to invest in wind and solar power while it aligns with these new rules. The Conservation Council is ready to ensure these regulations deliver a cleaner, more affordable energy future for New Brunswickers.
See more about what we had to say about these important regulations by reading our news release below:
A huge thank you to our 2024 donors and supporters
Happy New Year, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our year-end fundraising drive. In tough times, your generosity shows the true spirit of New Brunswickers who care about protecting our land, air and water.
The Canada Post strike during the end-of-year donation season was a big challenge for us, but we are thrilled that we still hit our year-long fundraising goal!
If you weren’t able to mail your donation because of the strike, it’s never too late! Click the link below for our mailing information, or donate online.
Happy New Year, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported our year-end fundraising drive. In tough times, your generosity shows the true spirit of New Brunswickers who care about protecting our land, air and water.
The Canada Post strike during the end-of-year donation season was a big challenge for us, but we are thrilled that we still hit our year-long fundraising goal!
If you weren’t able to mail your donation because of the strike, it’s never too late! Click the link below for our mailing information, or donate online.
One company’s struggles no reason to hit the brakes on electric school buses
P.E.I.’s pause on buying electric school buses after Lion Electric’s financial troubles is a setback—but it shouldn’t stop the momentum for cleaner, healthier school transportation.
In this blog, our director of education and engagement, Danielle Smith, explains why Lion’s business challenges do not reflect the viability of electric school bus technology. With reliable suppliers and phased procurement plans, provinces like New Brunswick can stay on track to electrify their fleets and build a sustainable future.
Click below to read the full blog and learn why the benefits of electric school buses are too important to overlook:
Weighing in on draft emissions cap
We’ve submitted our comments on the draft of the federal oil and gas emissions cap regulations. Our recommendations to the federal government focus on strengthening emissions targets, setting earlier and more ambitious deadlines and addressing the five-year exemption for new energy facilities.
You can read the full submission by clicking below:
Let’s talk about energy poverty
Join us for a panel discussion on how we can make energy more affordable for New Brunswickers while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Learn how energy poverty affects our communities and what solutions are available to help. Hear from expert speakers, including Abhilash Kantamneni (Efficiency Canada), Randy Hatfield (Human Development Council), Nicole McKenna (N.B. Power) and Kathleen Brennan (Government of P.E.I.).
When: Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Provincial Archives, 23 Dineen Dr. (in-person or online).
Don’t miss this chance to be part of the conversation. Register today by clicking below!
Get your tickets for Dimanche!
The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is proud to be a community partner for Dimanche at the Fredericton Playhouse on Friday, Feb. 28, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
This thought-provoking play explores humanity’s struggle to adapt to ecological collapse. Through a mix of puppetry, mime and video, Dimanche follows a family desperately clinging to tradition as storms rage outside while three wildlife reporters document the planet’s last surviving species. Dimanche offers a witty yet tender look at the resilience and absurdity of humans in the face of environmental chaos.
Check out the video below to see a preview, and click below to get your tickets!
Share your thoughts on EVs and win a $50 Gift Card!
New Brunswick Lung wants to hear from you! What’s stopping you from making the switch to an electric vehicle, or what motivated you to take the plunge? Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of clean transportation in our province.
By taking a short, anonymous survey, you’ll be entered into a draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card! It only takes 20-25 minutes, and your insights will help drive change toward a cleaner, healthier New Brunswick.
Click below to take the survey today:
Meet our new team members!
We’re so excited to welcome Erinn Sharpe and Annie Furman to the Conservation Council of New Brunswick team!
Erinn, our new engagement co-ordinator, grew up on the Fundy coast and has a deep love for New Brunswick’s lakes, rivers, and oceans. A University of New Brunswick bachelor of applied arts graduate, Erinn’s educational focus was on environmental intersectionality and how media plays a major role in how New Brunswickers are informed about their local ecosystems. Erinn has previously worked with Ocean Wise Conservation Association and has worked with youth to inspire a connection to their home. Having worked throughout the Wabanakik region they bring a collaborative approach to environmental work, grounded in a strong respect for traditional knowledge. An avid queer outdoors person and gardener, in the summer, Erinn can often be found birding, biking trails or kayaking through New Brunswick, while winter is spent cross-country and downhill skiing.
Annie, our new education co-ordinator, brings a creative spark to the team with her background in environmental education and her work as a professional climate artist. Originally from upstate New York, Annie has worked throughout Canada and the United States. With a master of fine arts in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on performance and sustainability, she’s passionate about helping communities build resilience through local, creative projects. Annie’s work has been performed internationally through Climate Change Theatre Action, and she is a published author whose poems and short stories tackle topics like climate anxiety and making the energy transition fair to everyone. Outside of work, Annie loves hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors.
We’re thrilled to have Erinn and Annie join us as we work together to protect New Brunswick’s environment and build stronger, greener communities!
We work hard to ensure a strong environmental voice is heard in New Brunswick’s print, radio and television media. Last year, our staff appeared in the media more than 50 times to shed light on ongoing environmental issues and success in New Brunswick. Here are some of the biggest stories Conservation Council staff have been called upon for expertise, analysis and commentary this year:
Conservation Council in the News
Jan. 14, 2025 | Irving Oil has announced it will not sell its Saint John refinery, ending 18 months of speculation after it announced it was undergoing a strategic review. As this Telegraph-Journal story notes, at the time of the announcement, we raised concerns about potential political motives behind the decision, particularly Irving Oil’s resistance to federal clean fuel regulations designed to reduce carbon pollution. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick has consistently pushed for a clean energy transition, advocating for policies that phase out reliance on fossil fuels and support renewable energy. Read the story.
Dec. 20, 2024 | In this Radio-Canada story, our executive director, Beverly Gingras, warns that the increased demand for wood from converting the Belledune power plant to burn biomass could harm our province’s forests. The conversion would make Belldune Canada’s largest biomass plant, needing up to 2.4 million tonnes of wood annually. New Brunswick lacks the supply to meet this demand, meaning we’d either have to import wood or ramp up local logging, which would harm wildlife and weaken the health of our forests. While moving away from coal is critical for addressing climate change, Bev tells Radio Canada that this transition should not come at the expense of New Brunswick’s natural environment. Instead of large-scale biomass, N.B. Power should focus on affordable, reliable, renewable energy like wind and solar while investing in heating systems that better use our local resources, like small-scale biomass boilers for schools and homes. Read the story (French).
Dec. 10, 2024 |“I feel like it was an early Christmas present in some ways.” That’s what our executive director, Beverly Gingras, told the CBC about the announcement of $1 billion in federal funding going to Indigenous-led wind projects in New Brunswick. That is estimated to be enough power for 140,000 homes — just under a third of the homes in this province! Listen to the interview.