Business leaders from across Canada are joining forces to raise awareness of the importance of Canada’s natural resource economy just months before a federal election.

The Canadians for Natural Resources campaign, officially launched on Friday, is co-ordinated by the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC). Its aim is to bring conversations to kitchen tables across Canada about the role energy has in Canada and what the future looks like.

“Our energy future relies on getting a fair price for our natural resources, building a concrete path towards a lower carbon economy domestically and applying our energy efficiency expertise, technology and products around the world to make a game-changing difference to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sandip Lalli, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

“Canadians don’t have to choose between high-quality jobs in the energy sector and doing our part to address climate change. By securing access to new markets, Canadians will get a fair price for our natural resources and reduce global reliance on the energy sources that generate far greater emissions than Canadian oil and gas,” said Janet Riopel, president and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.

In a news release, CGCC said more than 1.82 million Canadians are directly or indirectly employed by Canada’s resource economy and Canada exports more than $236 billion worth of natural resources every year.

“Yet, Canada struggles to not only reach markets abroad, but also within its own borders. As a result, Canada’s natural resources are selling at a discounted rate, resulting in less investment in our social services and economy,” said the organization.

With a federal election coming up this October, CGCC is asking Canadians to talk about how the country can further develop its natural resources.

CGCC includes chambers and boards of trade in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Brampton, Toronto, Montréal and Halifax.

– Mario Toneguzzi

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