6th Forum on the Climate-Energy Security Nexus: Emerging Best Practices and Lessons for North America

Workshop — Ottawa, Canada

Background

Climate change could affect our energy systems, and thereby our energy security, in several ways: by altering energy demand, disrupting energy supply and damaging energy infrastructure. To deal with these threats, the energy sector needs to develop resilience through technological solutions, flexible management practices as well as preventive emergency preparedness and response measures. 

The 6th Forum on the Climate-Energy Security Nexus: Emerging Best Practices and Lessons for North America in Enhancing Energy Sector Resilience built on past Nexus fora and focussed on the North American context, particularly on the power and oil and gas sectors, and highlighted resilience best practices, innovative financing models that facilitate resilience-building investments, and needs and opportunities for policy interventions.

Workshop Summary

AGENDA‌

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Judith Bossé, Natural Resources Canada
César Contreras Guzmán, Secretaría de Energía México
Craig Zamuda, US Department of Energy

1. Climate Risks Faced by the North American Energy Sector

Speakers in this session provided an overview of the climate risks facing the North American energy sector and discussed the availability and role of data and modelling to identify, assess, and prioritize risks.

Mary Preville, Natural Resources Canada‌‌
Cesar Contreras Guzman, Secretaría de Energía México‌‌
Craig Zamuda, US Department of Energy‌‌
Andy Hoell, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‌‌‌‌

 

2. Best Practices in Building Resilience into Energy Infrastructure

In this session, speakers presented case studies to highlight best practices in building resilience into energy infrastructure, from risk identification and assessment to resilience-building actions.

Devin McCarthy, Canadian Electricity Association‌
Hani Taki, Toronto Hydro‌
Guenter Conzelmann, Argonne National Laboratory‌‌
Ke Wei, New York City‌
Jan Dell, AECOM‌‌‌

 

3. Investing in Resilience Infrastructure

In this session, speakers discussed different ways to finance resilience-building actions, as well as the regulatory challenges for approving resilience investments.

Janet Peace, C2ES‌
Sarah Keyes, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada‌‌
Kristin Ralff Douglas, California Public Utilities Commission
Becca O'Brien Kuusinen, McKinsey & Company [Related reports: Financing change: How to mobilize private-sector financing for sustainable infrastructure; How the world’s economies can help shape climate-adaptation approaches]
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4. Tour de table / Roundtable

In this open moderated session, all participants were invited to briefly share insights and perspectives from their region and sector.

 

5. International Perspectives and Collaboration

Speakers shared lessons from international perspectives, including best practices in resilience building activities and collaboration.

Philippe Benoit, International Energy Agency‌
Alberto Troccoli, World Energy and Meterology Council‌
Marco Braun, Ouranos‌‌‌

6. Wrap-up session: gaps and opportunities

A facilitated roundtable discussion identified remaining gaps, opportunities, and suggested action items to build on the momentum of the workshop.

 

 

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