Energy efficiency can be divided into three areas: energy savings, consumption management, and energy use. Energy savings require efficient production and use of energy. Various technological solutions can be implemented to achieve this, including energy-efficient windows, geothermal systems for extracting heat and cold from the ground to heat and cool buildings, solar water heaters, and compact florescent light bulbs.

Green chemistry refers to the development of chemicals and processes that use and produce few or no hazardous materials. The 12 basic principles of green chemistry include waste prevention, atom economy, less hazardous chemical syntheses, energy efficiency, reducing derivatives, and catalysis. Catalysis is central to green chemistry because it makes chemical reactions cleaner and more energy efficient, especially environmental catalysis which draws on plant-based molecules.

Renewable energy is derived from natural sources that are replenished as fast or faster than they are consumed. It includes solar, geothermal, wind, hydroelectric, and ocean energy, and also bioenergy from biomass, biogas, and liquid biofuel. Wind and solar energy are the fastest-growing forms of renewable energy in Canada at the moment. The success of efforts to transition to these energies in order to reduce our dependency on traditional energies hinges in part on technological innovations, both in terms of improving the materials used and the production capacity of equipment.

Responsible resource management and the gradual greening of industrial processes are driving many researchers to seek ways to reuse municipal waste and waste from the mining, forestry, and oil and gas industries. By converting waste into value-added products, these researchers are advancing green development, which has positive impacts on employment, the environment, and public health.

Transportation electrification involves four key components: energy storage, charging infrastructure, electricity distribution infrastructure, and electric motorization. Technology in the field is advancing rapidly, from batteries (e.g., lithium-ion) and low-cost, high performance electric motors to next-generation electric powertrains. Major progress is being made on distribution networks and new infrastructure will incorporate smart charging concepts and bidirectional charging.