Toronto, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In anticipation of premiers meeting this week on interprovincial trade and economic opportunities, New Economy Canada has identified marketplace signals and economic forces that should guide Canada in attracting new investment and creating good paying, durable jobs.
The report, Strong Signals in the Noise, details how energy transition investments—now flowing at a rate of $3-trillion CAD per year worldwide—are being amplified by mounting concerns about energy security and the realignment of international trade to favour a faster transition built on clean power, electrification and low-carbon materials. The opportunity has never been greater, and with the recent U.S. policy shift, billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs are now up for grabs.
New Economy Canada’s analysis shows that all of these factors can play to Canada’s strategic advantage—if governments at every level across the country take decisive action to position Canada as a top investment destination by setting clean economy growth goals, ensuring policy certainty and durability, and spurring capital investment to get things built.
“This report confirms that the clean economy is here to stay, and that it represents the best opportunity for Canada’s future economic growth, stable trade and energy security,” said Merran Smith, president of New Economy Canada.
Strong Signals in the Noise shows that the global investments in the clean economy are growing at 22 per cent per year—as of 2024 they outpaced investments in the oil and gas sector two-to-one—and documents how economic and geopolitical drivers, particularly global concerns about energy security and trade diversification, will keep that momentum going. It also lays out the strong foundations of Canada’s clean economy, and how we can diversify and redefine key trade relationships to seize big opportunities as global investments continue to expand and the U.S. continues to threaten mounting tariffs.
Key indicators and drivers for Canada’s clean economy opportunities:
- Canada is already the world’s eighth largest market for clean investments—reaching nearly $50 billion in 2024—the top destination for exploration spending on critical minerals, and ranked second in the world for battery supply chain potential.
- 80 per cent of the country’s electricity is emissions-free—a world-class asset already serving as a draw for new investments.
- Canada’s ten largest trading partners outside the United States are placing a priority on low-carbon imports, Canada’s strongest trade opportunities rely on expanding these foundations in the clean economy.
“Canada has the resources, the talent and the trade routes to boost the energy transition around the world while creating stable jobs and driving innovation here at home,” said Smith.
Provinces are clearly recognizing the economic opportunity at play and have already been leveraging our advantages to attract private sector investment. Ontario has secured billions of dollars in large investments in both established sectors such as batteries and EVs as well as in innovative projects such as small modular reactors. BC Hydro’s 2024 call for power led to contracts that will contribute $5-6 billion of capital investment. This new report provides even more evidence to support provinces as they explore opportunities in the clean economy.
“Canadian companies, workers and communities are already benefitting from global investment in clean energy, tech and lower-carbon products. The growth opportunity for Canada’s economy is huge” Smith said. “We can’t let ourselves be distracted by all the noise, we must follow the signal, move fast and take bold action now.”
Supportive quotes on Canada’s economic opportunity:
Adam Auer, President and CEO of the Cement Association of Canada said:
“For our sector, investing in decarbonization is about driving innovation, attracting investment and strengthening Canada’s building and infrastructure sector to enhance our global competitiveness.”
Andrea Moffat, Senior Director, Investment Stewardship at Addenda Capital said:
“Investing in Canada’s clean energy economy is an investment in growing the resilience of our communities and securing our economic competitiveness for the long-term. We need to scale our efforts by ensuring a strong foundation and building market confidence now, to mobilize the capital required to take advantage of this growth potential in Canada.”
Colleen Giroux-Schmidt, Senior Vice President, Development Western Canada and Federal Government Affairs at Innergex Renewable Energy said:
“We’re proud to collaborate with Indigenous partners to bring clean energy to regions across Canada. Our projects deliver meaningful and long-term local economic benefits and opportunities while meeting regional energy needs with affordable, low-carbon solutions. The transition to clean energy is not only essential for the environment but also a powerful driver of global economic growth and community prosperity.”
Denis Krude, President and CEO, Hydrogen Optimized
“The clean hydrogen technology sector is well-positioned to become a significant contributor to Canada’s economy by driving new export opportunities, advancing our science and engineering know-how, building our capacity to manufacture green hydrogen production systems like our RuggedCell™ water electrolyzers, and creating high-value jobs. We are proud to be part of this economic journey.”
Matt Harper, President, Invinity Energy Systems
“Canada is not just ready to compete globally — we’re ready to lead the clean‑energy transition. From our Vancouver factory we see first‑hand how made‑in‑British Columbia vanadium flow batteries are accelerating that transition while creating durable local jobs.”
Mustafa Bulut, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer at PowerCo Canada said:
“PowerCo’s $7-billion investment in St. Thomas and the Gigafactory is a strategic, cornerstone project that leverages Canada’s robust clean energy grid and skilled workforce and will establish PowerCo as a global leader in EV battery production, while driving significant economic growth for Canada.”
About New Economy Canada
New Economy Canada is a non-partisan initiative uniting over 60 companies, industrial sector associations, as well as labour and Indigenous organizations, all committed to accelerating investment in Canada’s clean economy. Our members employ or represent over 410,000 workers and generate annual revenues of over $200 billion CAD. www.neweconomycanada.ca
