OTTAWA, Ont. — Export Development Canada says batteries, electric vehicles, fuel cells and hydrogen technologies, nuclear energy, electricity grid equipment and critical minerals are the six value chains where Canadian capabilities best align with global demand, according to its latest annual cleantech report released on October 8, 2026.
The report, titled Canada’s cleantech opportunity: Building economic resilience through trade and exports, argues that greater cleantech trade would give Canada more choice, reduce reliance on a small number of suppliers or fuel sources and make supply chains more flexible.
For builders, the findings point to a construction-intensive set of sectors — grid equipment, nuclear generation and critical minerals processing among them — as countries spend to strengthen energy security.
“The case for cleantech is increasingly economic as well as environmental. As countries look to strengthen economic resilience, energy security and long-term competitiveness, clean technologies are becoming a strategic industrial opportunity rather than simply a climate policy tool,” said Prerna Sharma, the report’s author and a principal economist at EDC.
According to Statistics Canada data, the cleantech sector contributed $70 billion in real GDP — three per cent of Canada’s total — and supported 363,000 jobs in 2024. Canada nonetheless recorded a $15.6-billion cleantech trade deficit that year.
EDC said capital continues to favour cleantech but is concentrated in mature, scalable technologies with proven demand, and that moving from demonstration to commercial deployment remains one of the most difficult financing stages in the ecosystem. Production of several major clean energy technologies and critical minerals remains concentrated in a small number of markets, with China playing an outsized role, the report said. It identifies Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and other markets investing in energy security and electricity infrastructure as opportunities for Canadian firms.
“Global investment in clean technology has surpassed $2 trillion annually, and Canada is ready to compete and win here,” International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said in the release. “Our environmental and clean technology sector already supports 363,000 jobs from coast to coast. By securing new trade agreements, we will ensure Canadian companies in this sector reach new customers and markets around the world.”
The report says Canada’s next stage of growth will require higher-value capabilities in advanced equipment, components, technologies and services, including processing, advanced materials, specialized equipment, recycling and technical expertise in critical minerals. A separate EDC report found Canada could add up to $100 billion to GDP by 2035 by moving into more sophisticated, higher-value products and services.
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