Minister’s Message

I’m delighted to present the 2014-2015 Departmental Performance Report – and to join a department that stands at the intersection of so many of the important issues facing Canadians today. Whether its climate change, engagement of Indigenous peoples, major energy projects, innovation or economic growth, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) plays a critical role.

Canada, like other countries, is at an important inflection point, a time when our challenge – and opportunity – is to marry environmental responsibility with resource development.  To do that, we need to become more innovative, find greener ways to extract and develop our fossil fuels, make greater use of renewables and become more efficient with how we use energy.

For NRCan – and for Canadians – there could be no more exciting opportunity because resource development is really about nation building – laying the foundation for future generations as our predecessors did for us.

To build that future, we must restore Canadians’ confidence in the way we evaluate major resource projects. This means a collaborative process, engaging key partners such as Indigenous communities, as well as provinces and territories. And it means proceeding in a way that generates the energy we need while preserving the planet we cherish.

It also means developing a truly national energy strategy – one that protects our energy security, encourages conservation and brings cleaner, renewable energy onto a smarter electricity grid.

Moving forward, we can create greener jobs and sustainable growth. We can foster new industries and modernize older ones. And we can build a nation on a solid, sustainable foundation.

As a science-based department, NRCan has an enormous contribution to make to that future. I look forward to working with all of the talented people of the department and to ensuring that the resource sector remains a source of jobs, prosperity and opportunity for generations to come.

The Honourable James Gordon Carr, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Natural Resources