{"id":13732,"date":"2025-06-05T15:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?post_type=rbc_tl&p=13732\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T15:21:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T15:21:44","slug":"build-baby-build-but-also-wait","status":"publish","type":"rbc_tl","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/climate-crunch\/build-baby-build-but-also-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Crunch: Build, Baby, Build\u2014But Also Wait"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u2794 Climate-tech funding perks up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2794 Nuclear ramps up<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2794 Got eco-friendly milk?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot takes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2794 Canadian climate technology companies raised $468 million in Q1. <\/strong>That\u2019s upfrom a paltry $39 million during the same period last year. It\u2019s a bright beginning to the year following a sluggish period of investment from Q2-Q4 2024. First quarter funding in 2025 was mostly driven by energy storage and clean power deals. While the overall rise in climate technology funding is encouraging, additional investments in industrial innovation\u2014beyond the $36 million raised to date this year from a single deal\u2014will be critical in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industrial sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2794 Speaking of funding, Canada will need more foreign capital to realize its commodity ambitions. <\/strong>More than 100 mineral projects worth $107 billion, are at various stages of development in Canada over the next ten years, according to research by RBC\u2019s Cynthia Leach, Shaz Merwat and Vivan Sorab<\/strong><\/a>. With Chinese investment in minerals effectively blocked by Ottawa, Canadian miners would need to tap a variety of countries such as those in America and Europe and institutions such as Middle East sovereign wealth funds, to emerge as a commodity powerhouse. Read the full report here<\/a>. Also<\/em> watch <\/em>RBC analysts<\/em><\/a> talk minerals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2794 After all the talk, nuclear is finally ramping up. <\/strong>A new U.S. executive order<\/a> aims to speed up new nuclear plant applications within 18 months\u2014and quadruple nuclear power generation in 25 years. Belgium<\/a> is scrapping its nuclear phase-out law, while EU members Germany, Denmark, and Italy are reconsidering their stances on nuclear. Ontario also kickstarted a nuclear modular reactor in May. But New Brunswick<\/a> is delaying its small modular reactor (SMR) plans after its two partners failed to raise capital and hire workers. Ambition is fine, but the challenge is finding the money and the people to execute.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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INFRASTRUCTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build, Baby, Build\u2014But Also Wait<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lofty ambitions, meet ground realities.Despite a reset, Canada\u2019s plans to build new clean and conventional energy projects are running up against familiar obstacles, such as stringent environmental rules and lack of Indigenous consent. Both are critical considerations that should not supersede national interest.

Provinces that stitched together new laws in a hurry are being asked to wait:<\/p>\n\n\n\n