The week of June 22, Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) board members appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources meeting on the low-carbon and renewable fuels industry in Canada.

RICanada was established in 1984, representing the select few who embraced the challenge of developing and delivering clean, renewable fuels to market. Today, RICanada members proudly produce more liters of domestic, renewable fuel than the membership of any other domestic industry organization. 

Appearing on behalf of RICanada were Malcolm West, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Greenfield Global Inc., Canada's leading ethanol producer, and Scott Lewis, executive vice president commercial operations and strategy at World Energy, a global leader in the production of biomass-based diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. Both testified on the proven efficacy and sustainability of Canada's biofuels, and the success of sound government policies in creating demand and attracting investment for renewable fuels across North America. They also explained the importance of biofuel blending and innovation to achieving Canada's net-zero targets in an economically sound manner.

"The challenge is that the transportation industry is too massive to slow down, but too impactful on the environment to ignore,” West said. “RICanada members found a way to solve this challenge through innovative, modern biofuels. Ethanol is typically more affordable than gasoline, acts as an octane enhancer promoting vehicle performance, burns more efficiently, and can be used with existing infrastructure. In addition, existing technologies and enhanced farming practices can make ethanol a net-zero fuel – or even net-beneficial for the environment."  

“Today, right here in Ontario, World Energy produces a biodiesel that exceeds net-zero standards, as measured by lifecycle analysis,” Lewis said. “We are able to do this by taking waste, like used cooking oils from restaurants and animal fats from slaughterhouses -- and transforming them into fuel. We also have the technology right now to make renewable diesel using other ingredients that would meet net-zero requirements.”

View RICanada's full remarks here: https://ricanada.org/resources_type/opening-statement-rnnr/