International cooperation is key to enabling faster transitions to a more secure and sustainable energy sector.
As energy markets are being reshaped by trade, geopolitics, technological revolutions, and the accelerating drive toward net zero, citizens require secure and affordable access to energy, investors are seeking clarity and confidence to deploy capital, and governments are working to deliver both climate ambition and economic growth.
The economic opportunities for energy innovation are growing. Across the board, there is recognition of the need, urgency and opportunities of innovation, and that growth will require more collaboration networks than ever before, stretching across universities, startups and entire regions.
Convening the experts
Canada co-hosted the 2025 edition of the Energy Innovation Forum (EIF) with the International Energy Agency (IEA) on 29 October 2025, the day prior to the G7 Energy and Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Toronto.
The Forum brought together over 200 entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and policy makers, including over 90 Canadian organizations, to discuss the most pressing energy innovation challenges and examine the solutions available to address them. Leaders and practitioners from the public and private sectors discussed vital topics such as how AI can accelerate innovation; advancements that can support battery mineral security; technologies for carbon dioxide removal; lessons learned from large-scale first-of-a-kind demonstration projects; and how innovation could address pressing energy security needs around the world.
Key outcomes
The Canadian delegation showcased domestic breakthroughs and positioned Canada as a global supplier of secure, reliable, low-carbon energy and natural resources, underscoring the urgency and economic opportunity of the energy transition, as well as the important role of energy innovation to reach net-zero.
Several Canadian announcements were made throughout the day including:
- An $11 million investment towards carbon capture and storage technologies through the Energy Innovation Program and the launch of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Canadian Energy Innovation Call for Proposals.
- A NorthX Climate Tech investment of $3.4 million in four Canadian carbon removal ventures and a new Arca Climate Technologies offtake agreement with Microsoft to deliver nearly 300,000 tonnes of durable carbon dioxide removal over 10 years (links available in English only).
- A second edition of the Mission Innovation SMART-CDR Student Prize Competition, (link available in English only) to be run by the University of Toronto’s Lawson Climate Institute with a grant from Natural Resources Canada. The challenge will foster more talent in the carbon management sector as students from around the world propose novel CDR solutions. The competition will open in December 2025.
- A $5 million investment in Nano One Materials Corp., under the Energy Innovation Program, for the commercialization of its ‘One Pot Process’ for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery production.
- Canada will host the 11th IEA Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, in June 2026 in Montreal. This leading international forum for advancing energy efficiency will bring ministers, CEOs, and other senior leaders from civil, finance, and business sectors from around the world together, and is taking place in North America for the first time.
Stakeholders at the Forum were clear: international cooperation across G7 nations will be essential to reduce barriers for rapid technology innovation and deployment. Consistent funding, underpinned by reliable and long-term policy and regulation frameworks, will enable energy innovation to address security, affordability, and inclusion globally while strengthening each country's competitiveness.
Next steps
The 2025 IEA Energy Innovation Forum was a unique opportunity for Canada to host an international, open dialogue with senior experts from the public and private sectors on critically important topics that are aligned with Canada's priorities as 2025 G7 hosts. The convening power of the IEA and the G7 enables discussion among partners who are striving together to accelerate energy technology development and address global imperatives. The momentum will continue at the next Energy Innovation Forum, which will accompany the IEA Ministerial in France from February 18-19, 2026.
NorthX and Arca make their announcements with the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Opening panel, featuring (left to right) Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter, Bloomberg News as moderator; Luca Mezossy-Dona, Co-Founder, IONATE; Amanda Hall, CEO, Summit Nanotech; Philippe Hoeblich, CEO & Co-Founder, PayGas
Left to right: John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Royal Bank of Canada; The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Dr Timur Gül, Chief Energy Technology Officer, International Energy Agency; Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter, Bloomberg News
Networking break
Additional resources
- IEA’s second Energy Innovation Forum shines spotlight on key role of innovation in achieving policy goals
- Natural Resources Canada news release: Canada advances energy innovation with major investments in carbon technologies and AI solutions
- The Honourable Tim Hodgson G7 Remarks: IEA Energy Innovation Forum Keynote Address
- IEA Energy Innovation Forum 2025 Event Page (includes session recordings)
- IEA State of Energy Innovation Report 2025