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
Why Carbon Capture and Storage Is Not a Net-Zero Solution for Canada’s Oil and Gas Sector
Canada's oil and gas sector regards carbon capture as the primary solution for lowering its emissions—but a careful analysis of the evidence reveals major risks in relying on and funding this technology.
Researchers urge Canadian government to fend off oil and gas industry pressure for billions more carbon capture dollars
A new IISD brief analyzes whether carbon capture and storage is a viable solution to reduce oil and gas emissions in line with Canada’s 2030 climate targets.
Canada commits to historic investments in clean electricity and fresh water in Budget 2023
The International Institute for Sustainable Development congratulates the Canadian federal government on the release of the 2023 federal budget.
Canada is sitting on 12 'carbon bombs.' Here's where they are
Just under the surface of B.C. and Alberta, in a rock formation known as the Montney Play, lies enough potential greenhouse gases to blow past Canada's 2030 emissions targets 30 times over. It's one of 12 fossil fuel reserves researchers in the journal Energy Policy have identified in Canada — called "carbon bombs" — that would each release a billion tonnes or more of carbon into the atmosphere if their resources were extracted and burned. This would be catastrophic for the world's efforts to slow rising global temperatures, the authors argue.