UPEI hosts next forum for national energy strategy
Royal Dutch Shell advisor to speak at Palmer Conference
Public- and private-sector leaders and influential commentators from across Canada will gather for the Palmer Conference on Public Leadership at the University of Prince Edward Island, August 18 to 19, to follow up on the latest calls for a national energy strategy.
The Palmer Conference, named in honour of noted lawyer and public-policy proponent, James S. Palmer, addresses issues of high priority to the public sector and to Canada. The theme this year, 'Developing a Canadian Energy Strategy,' is currently at the top of the Canadian political and policy agenda. Conference discussions will add value to the meetings of Canadian energy ministers that took place in Kananaskis in mid-July, resulting in a communiqué calling for government and stakeholders to work together to open up new markets for Canadian energy, to streamline regulatory processes, and to enhance energy efficiency.
Limited to 75 delegates in order to promote a high level of participation and interaction, the conference is attracting a stellar cast of presenters including conference chair, Janice MacKinnon, professor at the University of Saskatchewan and former minister of finance in that province, and the Honourable Ron Liepert, Alberta's minister of energy. Wim Thomas, chief energy advisor for Royal Dutch Shell, will give the keynote address; the 'Shell Global Energy Scenarios to 2050' will provide an informed international perspective for Canada's strategic energy choices.
MacKinnon said, 'The Palmer Conference is designed to address tough and timely questions, and to encourage the development of ongoing networks and professional relationships. Given the current national debates about our theme, UPEI will be the perfect setting to address critical issues regarding a Canadian energy strategy and the accompanying challenges for public-policy and public sector leaders.'
Prince Edward Island's minister of environment, energy and forestry, Richard Brown, is the incoming chair of the Canada energy ministers' summit. 'The Palmer Conference is an excellent forum to continue the discussion of the need for a national energy strategy among leaders in the energy sector,' said Minister Brown. 'I look forward to presenting the work from Canada's energy ministers at our recent meeting to develop a shared vision for Canada as a recognized global leader in secure and sustainable energy supply.'
The Palmer Conference agenda is designed to encourage engaged dialogue, and to reflect the diversity of opinion around key issues that have been selected to value to the national energy strategy debate. There will be panels of highly qualified commentators on three questions: leadership skill sets and capacity; R&D and innovation; and public engagement, education, and consensus building. These topics have been selected to enrich the national discourse, to encourage critical thinking, and to focus on the overriding mission of the Palmer Conference to enhance and promote public sector leadership.
For more information, visit palmerconference.com.
About the Palmer Conference
The Palmer Conference is named in honour of James S. Palmer, CM, AOE, QC and is held annually at the University of Prince Edward Island. The inaugural conference in 2010 explored the theme, 'Public Servants and their Relationships with Politicians and the Media.'
Mr. Palmer is a founding partner of the Calgary law firm Burnett Duckworth Palmer. His ancestors include two Prince Edward Island premiers, a representative to the 1864 Charlottetown Conference and several jurists. Mr. Palmer's commitment to public policy is demonstrated through the James S. and Barbara A. Palmer Chair in Public Policy at the University of Calgary.
