The Calgary Chamber is the voice of the business community. We help businesses reach their potential as they start, scale-up and grow through connection, advocacy and education.
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE:
Attracting opportunity and capital to Alberta
A
lberta’s investment climate has been very challenging in recent years. At times, it has been hard to see opportunities – particularly in Calgary, where the business environment has been negatively affected by the downturn in the energy sector, followed by the impact of COVID-19. But now, there is reason for renewed optimism. Alberta is increasingly being seen as a leading innovator in developing clean energy solutions and is poised to benefit from a growing interest by investors increasingly focused on solving the climate crisis. Through the Pathways to Net Zero initiative, major energy companies representing 95 per cent of oil sands production have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in alignment with Canada’s climate targets. The solutions developed through this initiative have the potential
to decarbonize the global industrial complex, which is also faced with the need to decrease emissions. In addition, investments announced by Amazon Web Services and accelerators like Plug and Play; ag tech accelerator, Thrive; and fintech startup, Neo Financial, demonstrate the growing diversity of business in Calgary. What do global changes mean for investment in Alberta moving forward? How can we become a destination for investment that fuels strong economic recovery and growth and vibrant communities? To realize these opportunities and understand what they represent, let’s dive deeper with investors to explore what we must do to position Alberta as a beacon for new investment to further diversify our economy and ensure long-term growth. BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // FEBRUARY 2022
51