The Cape Breton Partnership is establishing the Green Energy Engagement Program to focus on meaningful community engagement, creating ongoing dialogue and equitable knowledge exchange that helps communities build capacity and make informed decisions about future green energy projects, including wind energy and green fuels.
This report provides a summary of the diverse feedback we obtained from 11 communities across Unama’ki – Cape Breton during our first round of offshore wind community information sessions in collaboration with Net Zero Atlantic. The community feedback is organized into themes that include climate change mitigation; energy end-use and grid challenges; offshore wind technology; environmental impacts; local economic and social impacts; co-existence of ocean users; and governance and regulatory frameworks.
Our valued partner, Net Zero Atlantic, has also released a report to share what they’ve learned from Mi’kmaw communities and rural communities across Mi’kma’ki. You can view their full report here.
The Cape Breton Partnership and Net Zero Atlantic ran a community engagement survey from June to August 2023. The purpose of the survey was to identify the ways in which communities would want to be engaged with. Engagement is most effective when it is done in a way that people would want to participate and have equal access to those opportunities. The survey was advertised at local Cape Breton Partnership events across Unama’ki – Cape Breton, as well as social media, e-blasts, and digital billboards.
The key objectives of the Green Energy Engagement Program are centered around ongoing dialogue with communities across Unama’ki – Cape Breton and building organizational capacity within the Partnership. The key objectives are as follows:
Provide the people of Unama’ki – Cape Breton with information related to green energy through different forms of media, to keep communities informed and involved in any future development tied to green energy, namely onshore wind, offshore wind, and green fuels production.
Build capacity within the Cape Breton Partnership to undertake larger-scale engagement efforts to work toward social acceptance and support for future development.
Establish a Community Of Practice (COP) with organizations conducting education and engagement throughout Unama’ki – Cape Breton and develop strategic and coordinated engagement strategies that reach all communities across the Island.
Focus on relationship development with First Nations’ Communities, fishers and ocean users, local businesses, academic leaders, environmental groups, non-profits, tourism operators, and individual community members to account for all voices in Unama’ki – Cape Breton when considering the potential benefits and impacts of future offshore wind and green fuels production.
To learn more about the Green Energy Engagement Program, please review the document below:
Offshore Wind Information Sessions:
Net Zero Atlantic:
Natural Resources Canada
Participate in the ongoing Regional Assessment for Offshore Wind Development in Nova Scotia to provide your perspective that will help inform the regulatory requirements for future offshore wind development.
About the Assessment:
The Regional Assessment will be conducted for areas offshore Nova Scotia. The Committee will engage Indigenous groups, federal and provincial authorities, non-government organizations and the public during the conduct of the Regional Assessment. The Regional Assessment will help inform future project-specific federal impact assessments and decisions for offshore wind projects in these areas.
To learn more, submit a comment, view scheduled information sessions, or access key documents, visit: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/83514.
To sign up for updates, send an email to: OffshoreWindNS-EolienneExtracotiereNE@iaac-aeic.gc.ca
Please contact:
Jennifer MacNeil, Green Energy Engagement Coordinator
Cape Breton Partnership
jennifer@capebretonpartnership.com.