Statement on the Release of the Alberta Public Inquiry Into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns
IISD is Canada’s largest sustainable development think tank. For 30 years, we have been working collaboratively with different stakeholders around the world to advance evidence-based solutions to the climate crisis. In all those years, this is the first time we’ve been the subject of a public inquiry.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of our democracy. The right to express opinions on matters of public policy should be protected by every level of government in Canada. We welcome Commissioner Allan’s finding that "I have not found any suggestions of wrongdoing on the part of any individual or organization. No individual or organization, in my view, has done anything illegal. Indeed, they have exercised their rights of free speech."
We will continue to urge governments around the world to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and invest in a clean energy transition to prevent catastrophic climate change. This transition is already underway; countries with targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050—including Canada—represent 68% of global GDP. And every scenario in the International Energy Agency’s latest global energy forecast now projects a decline in oil demand in the coming decade.
Alberta’s future prosperity would be better served by governments investing public money in diversifying the economy, building on the real strengths that have always powered the province: a skilled workforce, an entrepreneurial spirit, and abundant resources.
You might also be interested in
What happens to Canada after oil demand peaks?
What will the energy transition mean for Canada's oil and gas sectors, which have long been a powerhouse of the country's economy? Aaron Cosbey, a senior associate and economist at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, lays out what he sees happening to demand for fossil fuels in the next decade, and how the country can navigate the transition to minimize economic disruption.
Lithium-Sourcing Roadmap for India
This report aims to provide a strategy to guide policy-makers in sourcing lithium responsibly to promote clean energy manufacturing in India, with the broader aim of supporting low-carbon economic growth, creating equitable jobs, and helping to mitigate climate change impacts.
Canada, a giant oil producer, urges others to end fossil fuel subsidies
Canada is pushing the United States and other major economies to follow through on pledges to phase out "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies, which have soared despite the growing threat of climate change. Such subsidies hit records last year, according to several watchdog groups, including one that estimated that major world economies—members of the G-20 cooperation forum—surpassed $1 trillion in subsidies for the first time in 2022. That’s a fourfold increase over subsidy levels in 2010, the year after G-20 nations agreed to phase out support for fossil fuels.
Alberta and Canada are talking about claiming emissions reduction credits for exporting fossil fuels
Alberta and Ottawa are searching for ways to claim credit for potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions in countries that swap their coal-fired power plants with Canadian gas, documents obtained by Canada's National Observer reveal. Energy discussions between Canada's largest oil-producing province and the federal government are taking place over the next year. A draft text of the working group's terms of reference shows the two sides, which are usually at odds over climate policy, are teaming up to explore how to use Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to the fossil fuel sector's advantage.