There are enormous changes taking place in the energy sector around the world, in North America and in Canada. These changes are being driven by three dominant considerations:  

• the need for more energy production to feed continuing economic growth and development around the world
• the need to make any society more energy efficient to stay competitive on the world global economy
• the need to make real progress in reducing impacts from greenhouse gases, arising dominantly from burning fossil fuels and associated release of gasses to the atmosphere.

In Canada, the role of the energy sector assumes special importance. Canada has a rich endowment of energy resources, which will be important for driving its own economic growth and development, while also being one of its dominant exports to feed an energy hungry world. The Canadian economy is also energy intensive as it is still based on natural resources extraction and transformation and manufacturing. On the other hand, Canada has major challenges, along with other fossil fuel producing and consuming countries, to achieve rapid progress in addressing the greenhouse gas challenge and associated climate change impact. There are major ongoing initiatives across Canada in addressing these and related energy challenges.

In this context, and in cooperation with the World Energy Congress to be held in Canada in September 2010, the Energy Council of Canada is holding a series of Energy Forums, the purpose of which is to collect information on Canada’s accomplishments and future plans for presentation at the forthcoming World Energy Congress, MONTREAL 2010. Each half a day Forum will focus on a specific region of Canada and its prime emphasis will be on obtaining, from governments, industry and various stakeholders, perspectives and planned actions to address present and future energy challenges.

It is intended that participants for the respective Forums will be senior representatives from government, industry and stakeholders. This will allow dialogue to be primarily strategic and policy oriented and to be visionary, constructive and pragmatic in terms of addressing the overwhelming challenges being faced by the energy industry in global, regional and national contexts.