Canadians are one of the highest per-capita energy consumers in the industrialized world. On average, each Canadian emits 20 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, ten times more than individuals living in developing countries. As individuals, we have control over one-quarter of Canada's GHG emissions.

Conserving energy and ensuring the most efficient use of the energy we consume, is the easiest and most cost-effective action for the average citizen to protect our environment. It is better (and cheaper) for our environment to improve the efficiency of energy use, than to produce more energy to meet inefficient consumption. Seemingly small individual and household changes quickly add up to large accomplishments at the community level.

Energy generation is single largest source of air pollution in North America, and this kills 30,000 people each year and makes many others sick. The energy used to generate electricity and to heat our homes comes from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, propane and natural gas. Burning fossil fuels sends greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which trap the sun's heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
Climate scientists agree that the Earth's average temperature has risen in the past century and, if this trend continues, sea levels will rise, and floods, heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather conditions will occur more often.

In addition to carbon and other pollutants released into the air, soil and water when fossil fuels are burned, air pollution contributes to asthma, bronchitis and other lung diseases, while acid rain from sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides harm plants and fish, and nitrogen oxide contributes to smog.

Despite the proven health and environmental impacts, the energy industry (both electricity generators and thermal energy suppliers) allow millions of metric tonnes of pollutants and GHG emissions to be released into the atmosphere.