The Energy Credibility Gap: Who Canadians Don't Trust

CALGARY, Jan. 21, 2016 /CNW/ - Energy is an issue that has major implications for Canada. It is a key economic driver of the national economy, supporting jobs, exports and overall economic growth.

The School of Public Policy released a report today by Dale Eisler that summarizes research on energy literacy and proposes policy recommendations. "These surveys found that Canadians severely lack trust in the key voices that speak on energy issues. They hold negative views of energy company executives, mistrust information from industry associations, and lack trust in their provincial and federal governments," Eisler says. "Aboriginal Canadians were the least likely to trust all these sources. The importance of trust cannot be overstated. The absence of trust can lead to negative consequences for investment in the energy system, and can undermine public confidence in leadership, making the challenge of improving energy literacy that much more difficult."

A step towards remedying that credibility gap could include creating independent, credible, centralized institutions that serve as clearing houses for non-politicized energy information, such as the Energy Information Administration in the United States.  The creation of a national advisory coalition, comprised of aboriginal Canadians, academics, opinion leaders and former senior public servants, could also provide a forum that would help shape consensus on issues that currently suffer from excessive polarization.

The papers can be downloaded at http://www.policyschool.ucalgary.ca/?q=research

SOURCE The School of Public Policy - University of Calgary

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